Confessions Of A Broken Heart
by dolphingirl0113
Summary: {Volume I in the "Confessions Trilogy} Kagome is raped, and Inuyasha is unexpetedly thrust into the role of being her emotional pillar of strength. But along the way he realizes that her path to healing could heal his own broken heart as well.
1. Chapter One

**New Author's Notes:** In honor of the one year anniversary of the first chapter of 'The Confessions Trilogy' I have decided to perform a massive edit of this story, and will be going over every single chapter. I will also be going over every chapter of the other two stories as well, but as I am also working on two other stories at the moment I won't be doing that right away. Below you will find all the original author's notes from the story, because I hadn't the heart to part with them, and then beyond that the new and improved story. Maybe this will become a tradition...we'll just have to wait and see!

* * *

_**Though not described in detail, this story does deal with rape so be warned if that sort of topic bothers you**_

* * *

**Original Author's Notes:** Okay, so I know this idea has been used before, but I hope you all can still enjoy the story just the same. Reviews are always appreciated, including criticism, as I always want to improve my writing skills. Thanks, and enjoy!

* * *

Title: Confessions of a Broken Heart 

Author: dolphingirl0113

Chapter: One

Rating: PG-13 (rated for violence, language, and implied sexual situations)

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

* * *

"_Ay me."_

"_She speaks._

"_O speak again bright angel, for thou art  
__As glorious to this night, being o'er my head,  
__As is a winged messenger of heaven unto the white-upturned..."_

Leaning against her hand, resting her chin safely in her cupped palm, Kagome sighed as she felt her eyes droop slightly, listening absentmindedly as Hojo droned his lines below. She was standing on a makeshift balcony, dressed in a gown of flowing pink silk that her mother had spent hours sewing together, complete with a yellow sash around her waist, and her long ebony hair was curled and falling lightly over her shoulders and down her back. The stage lights gave her an ethereal look, and her creamy skin practically seemed to glow.

Why had she ever agreed to do this? She wondered silently for at least the thousandth time since rehearsal had started at 4:00 pm. It was so boring, and she would have much rather been back in the Feudal Era with Inuyasha, hunting for jewel shards. At least then she might feel useful, but this...

Hojo stopped speaking, and everyone turned to look at her, taking into consideration the fact that everyone encompassed her costar and her drama teacher; by now everyone else had the sense to go home.

Realizing, with a blush, that she was supposed to speak now, Kagome jumped to attention and cleared her throat and eloquently as possible.

"_O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou, Romeo?  
__Deny thy father and refuse thy name.  
__Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love  
__And I'll no longer be a Capulet."  
_

"_Shall I hear more or shall I speak at this?"  
_

"_Tis but thy name that is my enemy:  
Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.  
What's Montague? It is nor hand nor foot  
Nor arm nor face nor any other part  
Belonging to a man. O be some other name.  
What's in a name? That which we call a rose  
By any other name would smell as sweet;  
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd,  
Retain that dear perfection which he owes  
Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name,  
And for that name, which is no part of thee,  
Take all myself."_

To her immense relief, once Kagome finished her rather long speech their drama teacher stepped in and prevented Hojo from 'announcing' his presence to Juliet. Glancing over at the clock, the seventeen-year-old high school girl was shocked to see that it was already past 11:30, and sighed, knowing she would, yet again, get very little sleep as she still had lots of homework waiting for her at home, piled neatly on her desk.

"Very well done, Kagome," Mrs. Dun, the drama teacher, said with a smile. "I must admit, I was somewhat worried at first when you agreed to do this, seeing how this is the first week where you have attended all the practices, but you have proven me wrong. You have really practiced, I can tell. Well done."

"Thank you," Kagome nodded in acceptance of the compliment, a slight pink coloring her cheeks as she felt Hojo beaming up at her from where he still stood beneath the extremely fake trees.

"I told you she would be good for the part," The boy commented with a large smile, and Kagome felt herself blush even more. She hated it when he flattered her so much...ever since she'd met Inuyasha, well...every other boy was just too sickeningly sweet. She giggled at the thought.

Mrs. Dun nodded, "Indeed you were right, Hojo. I'm glad you asked her to try out for the part."

Kagome wanted to choke at that statement, forcing her tart reply back down her throat. If she had been asked to do this, she never would have agreed. In reality, Hojo had practically drug her on stage that first day nearly a month ago, begging her to be Juliet in the school's annual Shakespearean play. It had only been after he gave her one of those smiles that made him look like a puppy dog that she relented. But even then, she had thought to audition...not actually get the part! Imagine her surprise when the results were announced and she was named as the new Juliet!

Ever since she'd been having to come back more often, slowing down their hunt for the jewel shards on the other side of the well, and this time she had been gone for a full week. Inuyasha was going to kill her for being gone so long.

"I do apologize for keeping you here so late," Mrs. Dun continued with a smile, yawning to accent her point, although Kagome didn't need to be reminded as her own eyes were beginning to sag with exhaustion. "I suppose I just felt that, since you two don't work together very much, you needed the practice. I hope neither of you will be in trouble with your parents."

Both Kagome and Hojo shook their heads before Kagome turned and climbed slowly down the back of the 'balcony' which, in reality, was just a ladder with an extended front peeking out over a wall. She landed on the ground with a thud, her skirts catching on the heel of her shoe, and she cursed silently as she remembered why she never wore high heels.

Mrs. Dun checked her watch before looking at them. "So I'll see you both here tomorrow at four?"

Kagome froze. "Um, actually Mrs. Dun, I'm not going to be here tomorrow." She wore a hesitant smile on her face, hoping no one would ask why, but also recognizing that, with her way of life, that was asking too much.

"Oh Higurashi, are you having one of your skin treatments again?" Hojo asked, and Kagome felt her heart skin.

"My what?" Her voice sounded low and exhausted.

"Your skin treatments," The brown-haired boy replied honestly. "The ones where they put fish oils on your skin to prevent that rash that had you out of school for a week. Your grandfather said you are still having to be treated for it, or else it might come back."

"He said that, did he?" She wanted to strangle the old man back at the shrine for that one.

"You shouldn't be embarrassed about it, Higurashi," Hojo consoled, putting a hand on her shoulder. "It's not your fault."

"Oh, I know..." She waved her hand as though to wipe the comment away. "But anyway, no, I'm not getting one of those, um...skin treatments...I'm just going to visit my aunt." When had she learned to lie so smoothly, she wondered?

"Well I'm sorry to hear that you won't be here," Mrs. Dun commented with a frown, "But then, after your performance tonight I feel better about your being gone. Just make sure you practice."

"Of course," Kagome replied with a nod. "Good night, Mrs. Dun."

"Good night!" The teacher smiled merrily before exiting the stage, leaving Kagome and Hojo alone.

"So, um," He shuffled his feet, "Would you like me to walk you home?" His voice was shy, as usual, and Kagome blushed yet again, deciding she should just paint a permanent red on her cheeks from that day forward.

"No thanks, Hojo, I kind of want some time to think on my own," She replied with a smile, trying to sound kind but firm. If she wasn't he would persist, and she was not in the mood that night.

For his part, he looked momentarily disappointed but quickly recovered. "Okay, I'll see you soon then," He said with a wave and a smile, leaving the stage in the same direction as the teacher. Kagome just shook her head with a smile...when would that boy ever learn?

The night was cold as she pushed open the back door of the school, the front inaccessible as the gates were locked tightly shut at such a late hour, and Kagome mechanically hugged her blue jacket around her slim frame as she stepped outside. But it was also a clear night, and seeing the stars reminded her of the Feudal Era, where you could see the sky for miles, and thinking about that brought a specific person to mind.

"Inuyasha..." Her sigh brought forth a cloud of steam, and she watched as it slowly disappeared. A simple smile formed on her lips, and she wondered what he was doing at that moment.

The silver-haired, amber eyed hanyou seemed to be on her mind a lot lately...even more then usual. Perhaps it was the fact that she was participating in the play that practically embodied the spirit of unrequited love, but for some reason Kagome could practically feel her heart as it constantly ached to be near him.

At such a ridiculously hokey thought Kagome couldn't resist the giggle that bubbled up and out of her chest. "He's made me soft," she commented to the silent street around her, and smiled even more knowing that was something he would say.

She continued to walk, lost in her thoughts and as such not minding at all the fact that all the buses had stopped running for the night, which meant her trip was twenty minutes longer then usual. But about halfway home she felt her happy aura begin to fade as she got the distinct impression that someone was watching her, and more...that someone was following her. It was the same feeling Naraku's insects triggered whenever they were near, causing the hair on the back of her neck to stand up and her body to tense as well.

The feeling only grew stronger, and Kagome became very aware of just how empty the streets were, the sound of rustling garbage in the wind the only thing piercing the otherwise silent night. She started to wish desperately that she had allowed Hojo to walk her home after all, or at least that she had brought her arrows to practice, even though that would have received just a few questioning stares.

Her heart began to race, and Kagome noticed for the first time how dark the street was, for some reason feeling like the yellow street lamps weren't really doing their job. She breathed faster and quickened her pace.

Suddenly a hand reached out and covered her mouth, muffling her scream of surprise, and an arm simultaneously wrapped around her slim waist. Kagome felt herself being pulled against something, or rather, someone hard as she also felt something cold press against her throat, and her eyes widened in shocked fear when she realized that her attacker had a knife...that was now precariously poised over her delicate, sensitive skin. She was as helpless as a chicken caught by a farmer, and the thought caused her body to start shaking in earth-shattering quakes.

"Don't fight me, and don't scream, or I will kill you," A deep baritone voice resonated behind her, the clearly male owner's chest vibrating against her back as he spoke. He sounded calm, as though merely discussing the weather, and that only caused Kagome to be more alarmed then ever. No person in their right mind could sound so calm when holding a knife to someone's they?

Unsure of what else to do, she found herself nodding slowly, careful not to rub her skin against the knife as she did so, and felt herself being moved backward.

He pulled her slowly...painfully slowly...down the street until Kagome noticed out of the corner of her eye a small white van whose back doors were opened. She felt a new sense of foreboding in the pit of her stomach, and her panic reached its peak when her captor threw her onto something firm, but soft. It was a mattress.

Turning over so she was resting on her elbows, she got a good look at her attacker, but unfortunately was greeted by the sight of a man dressed all in black, the only visible feature being a pair of beady green eyes that were laced with cruelty. She'd seen that kind of evil before...Naraku...

"Wh-" Her voice faltered, and she swallowed. "What do you want with me?" Her voice was a fearful whisper, but the moment she spoke the knife instantly returned to her throat and she found herself pressed onto her back.

"I told you not to speak," the man hissed, now sounding more like a predator stalking his prey, and Kagome instantly closed her mouth, biting her lip in fear and inner pain.

The moment she felt his hands touch her arms she was able to answer her own question, knowing exactly what he wanted from her, and also knowing that there was nothing she could do...not with that damnable knife still in his hand. Silent tears leaked out the corners of her eyes and fell down her cheeks, and for the rest of the night only one name rang true and clear in her heart.

_Inuyasha..._


	2. Chapter Two

**New Author's Notes:** In honor of the one year anniversary of the first chapter of 'The Confessions Trilogy' I have decided to perform a massive edit of this story, and will be going over every single chapter. Below you will find all the original author's notes from the story, because I hadn't the heart to part with them, and then beyond that the new and improved story. Maybe this will become a tradition...we'll just have to wait and see!

* * *

_**Though not described in detail, this story does deal with rape so be warned if that sort of topic bothers you**_

* * *

**Original Author's Notes:** I know that right now the story is a little depressing...actually, very depressing...but I promise that it won't stay that way. Just give it some time to develop...honest! And please review!

* * *

Title: Confessions of a Broken Heart 

Author: dolphingirl0113

Chapter: Two

Rating: PG-13 (rated for violence, language, and implied sexual situations)

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

* * *

The afternoon was pleasant, with the sun shining brightly without a cloud in the sky to hinder its brilliant performance. The birds were singing, and a slight breeze whisked through the otherwise silent trees, rustling the leaves and creating a soothing sound that most people could have fallen asleep to. It was a sharp outer contrast to the inner turmoil of a certain hanyou. 

Silver hair flying, sharp amber eyes flashing in frustration, he paced back and forth beside the ancient Bone Eater's Well, muttering incessantly to keep himself occupied, trying not to think about the fact that it had been eight days since Kagome had left...two days longer then she had promised. He tried not to be angry, knowing she had the pressures of school and something else she was doing called a play (though why someone would put aside time in the day to play was beyond him), but in the end Inuyasha knew it was no use. Every moment that passed caused his anger to draw closer to the boiling point.

"She said she would be back by now," he growled, his chest rumbling furiously as he kicked the grass with his bare foot, creating a small divot as the offended dirt wad went flying. "Keh, I wonder what her excuse will be this time?"

From the bushes two conspirators watched with knowing grins as their friend did what they had come to call the 'Kagome Routine'. One, a woman with long brown hair and soft brown eyes, turned to the other, a man with shiny black hair pulled tightly into a small ponytail at the nape of his neck, and giggled.

"So how long before he goes after her?" Miroku whispered, causing Sango to shiver as his breath touched her skin.

"I think another four or five minutes," she estimated.

They continued to watch, burrowed safely out of sight, as Inuyasha paced back and forth, grumbling to himself about Kagome and her stupid habits. Of course if he had actually been aware of his surroundings he would have caught their scent a long time ago, but as he was not, they were completely out of danger.

Finally the hanyou glanced at the well and, with a sigh, jumped in, disappearing 500 years into the future. "I think that was more like ten minutes," Miroku commented lazily, and Sango whacked him playfully across the head.

* * *

The Higurashi Shrine was extremely quiet when Inuyasha arrived, and he couldn't understand why. Kagome's grandfather, short with white hair, was always out and about, and there were plenty of people coming and going throughout the day to pay homage to the ancient structure, not to mention the fact that it was the afternoon, and Souta, Kagome's younger brother, was usually out practicing with his soccer ball. But today it was like the normally warm, welcoming home had become a ghost town, and the thought caused a momentary shiver to pass over Inuyasha's spine. 

Walking towards the house, the silence only became more noticeable, and before Inuyasha even reached the door a breeze caused him to turn and flip his hair over his shoulder, which gave him the chance to notice a chain strung across the bottom of the massive set of stone steps leading from the sidewalk up to the shrine. With great ease he leapt down to the bottom, forgetting that someone could be watching, and moved in front to read the sign that caused the chain to sag in the middle.

**The Higurashi Shrine Has Been Closed Temporarily For Personal Reasons.**

Inuyasha furrowed his brow, trying to understand what kinds of personal reasons could possibly warrant the closing of a public shrine. The thought caused him to feel uneasy, because he knew the Higurashi family well enough to know that they didn't take such things as closing the shrine lightly. They were all tough, just like Kagome...he hoped she was alright.

Leaping back up the stairs, he then took a giant bound and landed in the tree outside Kagome's window. But when he moved to step inside he was shocked to find the window was not only bolted but the blinds were drawn as well, meaning he was unable to see inside. And he could smell nothing but windex and the faint paint on the walls of the house. What was going on? Kagome always left the window open for him...

Forced to use the front door for once, Inuyasha felt his heart rate speed up dramatically as he turned the knob and pushed the door open like he'd seen Kagome do many times before, and found himself in the front hallway at the base of the stairs that led up to the bedrooms of the house. He moved to climb them, but was stopped by the scent of salt and the sound of someone crying in the kitchen.

Everything was all wrong. Normally this house was such a happy place, full of laughter and overfilling with love and joy. But today it was filled with a terrible silence, only pierced by the sound of heartbroken tears. Inuyasha had a hard time swallowing the constantly growing lump in his throat as he approached the kitchen, his footsteps light.

Mrs. Higurashi, Kagome's mother, was sitting at the table, her head in her hands, her short brown hair in a mess about her face, tears rolling freely down her face. She looked like she needed sleep, and he could smell her exhaustion as he also noted how pale her skin seemed compared to her normally healthy hue.

It was like a bucket of ice water was dumped on his head for Inuyasha to see such a normally positive and vibrant woman like that, and the hanyou found himself unable to do anything but stare, feeling like an idiot when the woman finally noticed his presence and jumped slightly in surprise.

"In-Inuyasha..." She stammered, quickly sitting up straight and wiping the tears from her cheeks as she sniffed, though the smell of salt sat heavily in the air between them.

Damn, he couldn't stand it when people cried, especially women. Taking a hesitant step forward, he clenched his hands at his sides, feeling very uncomfortable. "What's wrong?" He asked softly, and Mrs. Higurashi sighed, the tears beginning to flow again.

"I don't want her to see me like this," she whispered, looking melancholy. "She needs me to be strong for her right now." And as though agreeing with herself, she nodded, her mindless babble making absolutely no sense to Inuyasha.

"Who needs your strength?" He was truly afraid now, because there was only one other 'she' who lived in the house, and that 'she' was very dear to his heart.

But Mrs. Higurashi didn't seem to hear him as she continued talking. "She is so strong, and here I am crying like a baby. I have no right. I wasn't even the one who was...was..." The woman broke down into uncontrollable sobs as some thought Inuyasha could not see crossed her mind, and he felt his patience growing thin.

"Hey, what's going on?" He asked, this time more forcefully as he walked over and shook the weeping woman as gently, but firmly, as he could. He didn't like feeling afraid.

Mrs. Higurashi looked up, her dark eyes startlingly full of sorrow. "Kagome...she was...was..."

"Was what?" Inuyasha felt himself panic. "What's wrong with Kagome?" He was quickly becoming frantic, and had to know what was wrong. Why couldn't Mrs. Higurashi just say it? She was normally so strong...but maybe not as strong as her daughter.

Finally the woman broke down. "She was raped! My baby girl was raped!" And with that, she sank against his chest, as though saying the dreadful words had used up all her strength.

Inuyasha felt, in that moment, his entire world collapse as his heart shattered. Kagome had been what? He may have been from a different time, but he knew very well what that horrid word meant. She couldn't have been raped. No man could ever do such a thing to someone so wonderful, so beautiful, so...incredibly pure.

"Where is she?" He managed to ask, his voice coming out in an unintentional whimper, and the older woman in his arms leaned away to look at him, once more wiping her eyes dry of tears.

"She's in her room now. She just got home a few hours ago from the hospital." Mrs. Higurashi sounded like a robot now, all emotion gone, and Inuyasha suspected she was reiterating what she h ad probably told dozens of concerned family members and friends over the phone. "Her friend Hojo found her this morning on the sidewalk on his way to school, and called for an ambulance." Her lip trembled. "She was badly beaten, and, well...you know...but otherwise seemed okay, so the doctors sent her home after a full evaluation."

She shook her head and put her hand to her cheek. "I thought it was so odd that Kagome didn't come home last night after practice, but she's normally so trustworthy that I just assumed she had gone home with a friend. I never thought...oh God, if I had known...I..."

Putting a hand to her mouth, she was clearly trying to hold back more tears, and Inuyasha could do nothing but stand there and gape like an idiot. He never had been very good at the whole comfort thing.

Thoughts were running around at a breakneck pace in his mind, scattered and without reason. He tried to organize them, thinking about how he had never liked that Hobo guy Kagome would sometimes talk about, but at that particular moment feeling like the young man was his hero. He had found Kagome and taken her to safety. Perhaps he wasn't so bad after all.

Finally, after he'd had enough of the tears, Inuyasha turned mechanically toward the stairs, but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. He looked down at Mrs. Higurashi, who was still holding back her sobs.

"She needs you know," she whispered softly, "Even if she doesn't know it yet. But you must be prepared for the fact that she has changed. She is so afraid right now...afraid of everything. She was even afraid of Hojo, the poor boy, when he brought her flowers earlier today." Mrs. Higurashi broke down finally, and Inuyasha took the opportunity to break away and walk the rest of the way up the stairs.

But as he neared the familiar door, he felt his steps begin to falter and his breath to become restricted. What exactly would he find beyond the threshold?

Surely Kagome would not be afraid of him, he assured himself confidently, but that thought only lasted a few seconds before the cruel seeds of doubt invaded his mind. He could be cruel to her sometimes, saying things he didn't really mean. What if that would all come back to haunt him now? What if, somewhere along the way, during one of their many petty arguments over the last two years, he had said something that she would remember now that would cause her to fear him?

Slowly, hesitantly, he pushed open the door, and was immediately surrounded by the scent of Kagome...of pure vanilla spiced with something exotic. Sighing, he stepped into the room.

She was lying on her bed, her back to him as she faced the wall, curled into a tiny ball. She was dressed in long black sweat pants that covered her legs loosely, a baggy white sweatshirt covering her entire upper half, her hair pulled into a messy ponytail, and her hands balled into tiny fists at her chest. Her eyes were closed, but having watched her sleep many times before Inuyasha could tell by her uneven breathing that she was nowhere near dreams, and noted how uncomfortable she looked.

Unsure of what else to do, he decided to break the silence. "Kagome?"

She lurched into a sitting position and whirled around, her body tense and fear on her face, and Inuyasha took a step back in horror at what he saw. It wasn't the bruises, or even the hideous black left eye, but rather the look in her eyes that shook him to his very core. Her eyes, once so full of life, were empty. There was nothing there, like someone had flipped a switch and turned off her soul.

She was devoid of all emotion...like a doll...

"Kagome..." He sighed gently, this time not in the form of a question but rather a soothing statement. She just stared at him, clutching the pink sheets of her bed in her tiny white hands.

There was a moment, the longest of his life, when Inuyasha was sure she would reject him; that she would turn her back and fail to acknowledge his presence. Or worse...that she would tell him to leave. He couldn't stand the thought.

But then, suddenly, she leapt from the bed as though she were carried by angel's wings and flew into his arms, sobbing. Unsure of what else to do, Inuyasha grasped her firmly in his arms, and felt an immense gratitude, along with something else, something warm, swell in his chest. She was letting him hold her. She was not afraid of him.

In the back of his mind he did a little victory dance despite the situation as he realized that Hobo had not been given this honor.

"Inuyasha..." She said no more, but buried her face in his red kimono, and he scooped her up into his arms and cradled her to his chest, walking over and sitting down gently on the bed, rocking her back and forth gently as though she were a child who had awoke from some horrible nightmare. In a way, he realized sadly, she had. A very real nightmare.

"It's alright, Kagome, you're safe now," He soothed, rubbing her back with his hand, inhaling her scent as he rested his chin on the top of her head, her soft ebony hair ticking his skin. He never wanted the moment to end.

"I know you'll keep me safe," she finally whispered back, her voice weak and afraid...so unlike his Kagome. He hated that. But her words still filled him with joy as he realized she still trusted him that much. She had spoken those words before, but only now did such faith in his abilities as protector mean so much.

"Kagome..." His voice cracked as he tried to say what had been on the tip of his tongue from the moment her mother had said the word rape. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there to protect you. I should have been, but..."

She leaned back and put a finger to his lips, her doll-like eyes boring painfully into his soul. He hated those eyes. "Just hold me," she finally replied softly.

And he did. For nearly two hours all he did was hold her, whispering sweet nothings as Mrs. Higurashi came and went, delivering flowers sent by Kagome's friends and family. Before long the room resembled a florist shop, and Inuyasha had made a decision.

She had been raped, and he should have been there to protect her. He should have been there to fight off her attacker and string him up on the nearest tree to leave him hanging by his ankles. He should have been...but he hadn't. So now he would have to make up for that.

Without warning he stepped up off the bed, taking Kagome with him, and she just wrapped her arms tighter around his neck and buried her head against the crook of his shoulder. "Where are we going?" She whispered.

"Just trust me," He replied softly, for a brief instant leaning down and nuzzling her cheek spontaneously with his nose in an act his mother had done for him when he was young. She nodded and became instantly still.

Her family was in the living room when he came down, sitting around the television, though it was obvious by their blank stares that no one was paying attention to the brown-haired newscaster currently forecasting sunshine for the next several days. They all looked up in surprise when they saw him.

"Inuyasha, where are you going with my granddaughter?" Her grandfather, his white hair bouncing atop his head, demanded protectively.

But the hanyou was unfazed. "I'm taking her back to my time. She needs to leave this world, and the people in it with their prying eyes, for a while."

The old man seemed to want to say something more, his dark eyes challenging, but bit his tongue after he received a look from Kagome's mother. She then returned her gaze to Inuyasha and tried to smile, showing a trace of her normal self. "I think that is a good idea," she commented gently and he nodded, though he knew deep down he would have gone with or without the family's approval.

Kagome turned her head slightly so that she looked at her mother for an instant, the silence between them stretching on into oblivion as they seemed to communicate something through their eyes, before the daughter finally looked away and back into Inuyasha's chest. "I love you, mama," she whispered, and tears flooded Mrs. Higurashi's eyes for at least the hundredth time that day.

"I love you too," she replied, her calm voice betraying her inner turmoil, as she watched Inuyasha walk out the door taking her angel, her precious daughter, with him. She glanced toward the ceiling and in that moment said a silent prayer: _please let this young man who means so much to my daughter find a way to reopen her heart. Please give me my daughter back._


	3. Chapter Three

**New Author's Notes:** In honor of the one year anniversary of the first chapter of 'The Confessions Trilogy' I have decided to perform a massive edit of this story, and will be going over every single chapter. Below you will find all the original author's notes from the story, because I hadn't the heart to part with them, and then beyond that the new and improved story. Maybe this will become a tradition...we'll just have to wait and see!

* * *

_**Though not described in detail, this story does deal with rape so be warned if that sort of topic bothers you**_

* * *

**Original Author's Notes:** Wow! I never in a million years would have guessed that this story would turn out to be so popular. Thank you all sooo much for taking the time to review, it means a lot to me. I thought about baking cookies for everyone, but then remembered the last time I touched the oven and ended up with burnt disks that somewhat resembled Frisbees, so I scratched that idea. But know that I'm extremely thankful, and please keep reviewing if you can, I love the feedback! 

Though I can't respond to everyone individually I want to reiterate that it will not be this depressing the entire time. It will get better, I promise. I'm not a fan of rape either, but I feel it is an issue, unfortunately, that in our world has to be dealt with.

Thank you to those who are returning readers from my previous story, "Out of the Darkness", that means so much to me. And now, on with the story. Enjoy!

* * *

Title: Confessions of a Broken Heart 

Author: dolphingirl0113

Chapter: Three

Rating: PG-13 (rated for violence, language, and implied sexual situations)

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

* * *

Empty. 

That's all Kagome felt.

It was like someone had ripped out her very heart and put it somewhere far away, locking it in a box and hiding the key. Normally she would have felt giddy or even joyous, considering the way Inuyasha was holding her right now, like she was a precious treasure that he would keep close to him forever. But today she felt nothing.

From his vantage point, Inuyasha watched Kagome with concern etched into his features, desperately wanting to know what was going through her mind...if anything. She hadn't said a word the entire walk from the well to Kaede's village, and it was starting to get really unnerving. Usually she wanted to talk so much that he would have to resist the urge to slap some of the tape from her time over her lips, and right now he would have given anything to have that problem again.

"Kagome!" It was Shippou, bounding towards them excitedly, his bushy tail bouncing every time he made an impact with the ground. But Kagome was not in the mood for surprising noises, and tensed instantly, causing Inuyasha to tighten his grip on her protectively, wanting to assure her that everything was okay and that she was alright. He also sent Shippou a warning look, and the kitsune responded by stopping at his feet and looking up quizzically.

"What's wrong with Kagome?" He demanded, his little hands planted firmly on his hips. Normally Kagome would have laughed at his comical appearance, but today she wanted nothing more than to disappear. She didn't want everyone knowing what had happened to her...she couldn't bear any more sympathetic looks, because all it did was remind her.

"Nothing that you need to worry about," Inuyasha finally responded to Shippou's question in a gruff voice, pushing past the little form on the ground and moving quickly towards Kaede's hut, desperate to get Kagome inside and away from prying eyes. She needed that more then anything else.

"Kagome-chan, you're back!" But the smile on Sango's face instantly faded when she saw Kagome's appearance. When had the girl's eyes ever looked that lifeless? "Kagome?" Sango took a step forward, and the other woman looked away, turning her head shamefully into Inuyasha's shoulder. "Are you alright?"

"Keh, she's fine!" Inuyasha growled. "So why don't you all stop asking her that!"

"Inuyasha," Kagome whispered, and his face softened instantly as he looked down at her. She shook her head. "It's okay...you can't get mad at them for caring. In fact, I should be grateful to have such interested and considerate friends."

The hanyou felt his heart melt at her words. It was so like Kagome to not get angry at a time like this, but rather just put up with the way everyone was behaving. She was, yet again, putting her own needs aside so that she could deal with the fact that everyone else was being annoying and sticking their noses where they didn't belong.

Sango ignored Inuyasha's command to stay away and immediately rushed to her friend's side, taking Kagome's hand in her own. "Kagome, something is wrong, I can feel it, and it's obvious by the look in your eyes. Please tell me." But Kagome just looked away in pain, and Sango stopped short, letting her hand fall to her side.

"Ah, Kagome, we knew you would return once Inuyasha went back for you," Miroku commented with his trademark grin in place, but he too stopped when he saw her face.

Kagome winced at the way they were looking at her. God, did she really look that different? That hideous? She sighed...of course she did. She was damaged goods now, dirtied by the hands of a sick, twisted man with cruel green eyes. It made perfect sense that she looked different now. In fact, she probably looked absolutely repulsive...at least, that's what she saw when she looked in a mirror.

"Inuyasha, can we just go inside?" She finally asked gently, tightening her hold on his shirt, and he nodded gruffly.

"Yeah, we should talk to Kaede." He pushed through the door as he spoke, ignoring the questioning look in Miroku's eyes. He'd be damned if anyone else asked an annoying question.

The elderly miko was on her knees by the hearth, her hands in her lap as she gazed at the small smoldering fire, and looked up when they entered. It was clear that she immediately sensed something was wrong, because she frowned. "Inuyasha, what is it?" Her voice was gruff with age, but she still had a kind tone.

"Kaede, I think Kagome should talk to you," He said as he looked down at Kagome, who grimaced at the idea. That caused him to get an idea. "I think she needs to talk to you," he rephrased, trying to sound like his usual know-it-all self, and was disappointed when Kagome just looked away, not even putting up a fight. God, had the bastard who did this to her taken away her very will to live? The thought was discouraging.

"Very well," Kaede replied, shifting so that she was facing away from the fire, and motioned toward a small mat where Kagome could sit, putting a kind smile on her face. "Let's talk, child."

Inuyasha set her down gently and turned to leave, surprised when he felt a hand on his wrist. Turning, he saw Kagome gazing at him with a pleading look in her eyes as she spoke. "Please stay, Inuyasha. I...I need you with me right now." She never acted so needy, and so, unsure of what else to say or do, he just grunted and sat down beside her...though he wasn't sure he wanted to hear what she had to say.

Kagome took a deep breath and looked over at Kaede, who was also shocked by the extreme change in the younger woman's appearance. She truly seemed lifeless, with her blank face and doll eyes. _A lot like my sister_, the miko thought to herself, shuddering at the very thought.

"I don't know what I should say," Kagome commented with a chuckle, though the sound contained no energy, running nervous fingers through her ebony hair, which as a result came loose from the rubber band holding it in place at the nape of her neck. At least, Inuyasha thought randomly, she looked a little more like herself with her hair down again.

"Just say what you think is necessary, child," Kaede soothed, placing a comforting hand on the girl's knee as she used every technique she'd ever been taught when it came to talking to a troubled villager. Kagome just nodded.

"I...I guess one thing I would like to know is if you have any, um, herbs for...for...pain down here." Kagome pointed between her thighs with a tremendous blush, but it was no where near as obvious as Inuyasha's. He couldn't believe she had wanted him to stay to hear this! He could literally feel his face burning like red-hot coals, and was about to say something but bit back his words when he received a warning look from Kaede. He settled for just looking away with a grunt.

"Of course I do," Kaede replied with a patient smile. "But might I ask why you would need this? Surely you have not..." She was about to comment that Kagome had surely not had sexual intercourse with anyone, but stopped after receiving a warning look from Inuyasha, and noticed that Kagome had suddenly paled dramatically. Dear Buddha, she thought as the pieces began to fall into place. Surely Kagome had not been...

"I...I have," Kagome replied softly," But not willingly." Her voice cracked. She just couldn't quite bring herself to say that one word...that horrible word that caused her so much pain.

Kaede sucked in a silent breath, reaching back into her years of training as a miko to try and find some semblance of control at Kagome's words. In all her life she had never known such a cruel thing to happen to such a wonderful person, and it caused anger to pool in the pit of her stomach, anger like she hadn't felt since her sister had died.

"You needn't say any more," she spoke quickly, rising to her feet and walking into a side room to retrieve several pots with herbs and a mixing bowl.

While she was momentarily gone Inuyasha reached over and took Kagome's hand, squeezing it slightly in an attempt to reassure her of his support. He smiled, and she tried to smile back, but it wavered. Still, he took hope from the fact that she had even tried. Perhaps she would be okay after all...with some time.

Kaede returned to the room mixing something into a bowl. "Kagome, I must ask you something, and I apologize if it is hard for you to answer." She waited for Kagome to nod before continuing. "You've told me before that the healing technology where you come from is highly advanced. Were the healers in your time able to determine if you are with child?"

Kagome blushed and looked away, but shook her head. "They ran several tests, and are pretty sure that I am not pregnant, although I'll have to go back in after about a month to be sure, since the tests don't really have a chance of coming back positive until the pregnancy hormones kick in."

Kaede nodded and grunted. "Alright." She returned to mixing the contents of the bowl before pouring them into a small cup and handing it to Kagome. "Drink this. It won't taste very good, but I promise you'll feel better in the morning."

Nodding, Kagome plugged her nose and tipped her head back to swallow the contents of the cup as quickly as possible, feeling a burning sensation in her mouth and throat. She grimaced as she set the cup back down with a thud, a strange, sour aftertaste now on her tongue, but she put it aside...she could deal with it.

"I think I'll go get a drink from the stream," she finally said after smacking her lips together several times in an attempt to rid herself of the taste.

Kaede nodded. "That's a normal reaction. I've never had to drink the mixture myself, but I'm told it's rather putrid." She grinned, clearly trying to get Kagome to do the same, but Kagome only nodded and rose to her feet.

Inuaysha was instantly at her side. "Do you want me to come with you?" He asked it gently, as though afraid she would blow away if he spoke too loud, and she nodded again, this time a slight grateful smile forming on her lips.

As was to be expected, Miroku, Sango, and Shippou were still standing outside the hut with dazed expressions, as though they'd seen a ghost and were now trying to decide if it had been real. Miroku was the first to snap out of it when Inuyasha and Kagome appeared.

"Kagome," He moved quickly to her side, "Did we say or do something to upset you? Please be honest. If we did, I am deeply sorry."

Kagome felt hot tears threatening her eyes as she shook her head. She felt absolutely awful for worrying them so much...for not having the courage to put up a brave front. "No, you said nothing; I just need some time to...to..." But she couldn't finish her sentence without crying, and so left it hanging in the air, continuing to walk towards the woods and the stream she knew was just beyond. The monk looked like he wanted to say more, but after receiving a low, warning growl from Inuyasha, decided to remain silent as the pair walked by.

"Are you okay?" Inuyasha asked once they were alone again, wishing desperately that there was something he could do. Even hitting a tree to relieve his frustrations would do the trick at that moment.

Kagome nodded, though tears were now openly falling down her cheeks. "They don't realize how much it hurts when...when they treat me like that," She finally whispered after several moments of silence.

"What do you mean? Treat you like what?"

"Like I'm a freak or something." She hugged herself tightly to accent her point, and in that moment Kagome Higurashi looked like the loneliest, most frightened person in the world.

"You're not a freak," Inuyasha replied firmly, stepping in front of her and forcing her eyes to meet his. "You are Kagome, and you're just the same as you always were. Nothing has changed."

"You really believe that Inuyasha?"

He did something unexpected in that moment, without even realizing it was happening. He smiled brightly. "Yes; I truly believe that."

A glimmer of light flashed in her eyes, and Inuyasha felt his heart leap in excitement. Even though it had been for just an instant, he had seen his Kagome again, clearly trying to scratch and claw her way back to reality, trying to overthrow this doll that had overtaken her body. She had a long way to go, there was no doubt about it, but now he knew that everything would, in the end, be okay. She was strong, after all, the strongest woman he knew...and he would help her in every way he could.

The stream came into view, and Kagome bent over to cup the water in her hands, stopping to look at her billowy reflection for a few seconds, and felt her heart clench. She saw a girl who was extremely sad and in serious internal pain, both mentally and physically. She sighed and finally splashed the water over her face. "No wonder everyone knows right away that something's wrong with me," she muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing." Kagome looked away from the stream, and her haunting reflection, as she stood up, wiping a few drops of water from her mouth as she did so. "Let's go back."

She started to move, but Inuyasha stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. "Wait...Kagome?"

She turned to look at him. "Yes?"

He blushed. "I...I'm not exactly an expert with this kind of thing but, well, I think you need to talk to someone about what happened." His voice was soft, suddenly shy, and he looked at his feet as he spoke. "Not now, maybe, but eventually. I just think you need to talk about it because it would be good for you."

"Why?" The idea of reliving that night was so unappealing that Kagome wanted to retch, and it was clear to Inuyasha by her suddenly sharp tone that she hated the suggestion.

He plunged ahead anyway. "Because I know that you always make me talk about things that are bothering me, even when I hate it, and it does, in the end, always make be feel better to get it out in the open. It's almost like relieving myself of some heavy burden, or, at the very least, sharing the load with someone else that I trust."

"This is a little bit different, Inuyasah," She replied with a dejected sigh, turning to leave, but he wasn't going to let her off that easily. She tensed in fear when he put his hand on her arm, and he instantly let go, but still continued to speak.

"I don't think this is one bit different, Kagome." He looked at her with a fierce expression. "You're angry and afraid, just like I am sometimes for different reasons, and the only way those emotions will go away is if you talk to someone about it.

Kagome whirled on him in anger, tears in her eyes. "You think you know everything now just because it's helped you once or twice? Now you think you're some kind of Freud? Well guess what, you've got way too many problems of your own to even think about lecturing me.

Inuyasha had no idea what a Freud was, and didn't like the implication that he had problems of his own, but in this instance was unaffected by her temper. In fact, he was excited, taking it as an encouraging sign. If she had the confidence to fight back, even if it was for the wrong reasons, then he could take the verbal abuse. "Deny it all you want, Kagome, but I still say that eventually you'll need to talk to someone."

"Whatever, Inuyasha," She snapped, spinning on her heel and stomping off, calling over her shoulder, "I never want to relive that night again! Ever! Do you hear me? _Never!_"

Kagome was still furiously wiping her eyes when the hut came back into view, and she slowed down to give herself more time to recover, horrified at the thought of her friends seeing her this way. But she was still furious with Inuyasha. The baka...since when did he decide he knew so much about human feelings? He had a hard enough time getting in touch with his own inner human, let alone hers!

"Kagome!" A booming male voice called out her name happily, and without meaning to, Kagome shrieked and came to an instant halt, her heart racing. She found Kouga suddenly at her side, smiling confidently, his posture erect, his hands on his hips, his long black ponytail blowing about and his blue eyes sparkling with life.

He took his hand and put it on her elbow like he always did as he spoke, pulling her close. "I knew you were back from your home," He said excitedly, winking. "I can always smell my woman." But the wolf man stopped suddenly when he realized that Kagome was shaking, and released her as though his hands had been burned. He sniffed the air, and growled when he caught the scent of fear. "Kagome? What's wrong?

He stepped towards her again, but this time Kagome backed away fearfully, and, without meaning to, ran into Inuyasha, who had run into the clearing with his hand on the hilt of tetsusaiga, responding to her scream. The hanyou saw Kouga and quickly put a protective arm around her waist to assure her everything was alright while glaring steadily at the wolf man.

"Dog turd, what the hell did you do to my Kagome?" Kouga demanded, suddenly furious and wanting to know what had made Kagome so afraid that she would back away from her own mate. He had never, ever given her reason to fear him...at least, not since he'd first kidnapped her and his tribe threatened to eat her. But that was all almost two years in the past, she was long since over that.

"I did nothing, baka," Inuyasha growled in reply, tightening his hold on Kagome instinctively as she shivered.

"If you think I'll believe that then you truly think I am a fool," Kouga snorted, looking again at Kagome's shaking form. She was clinging to Inuyasha as though her very life was on the line, and her skin had gone deathly pale. Gods above, he thought, wracking his brain for an explanation, what was wrong with her?

"Kouga," She finally whispered, pulling away from Inuyasha after several minutes of silence, both men turning to look at her. "I...I'm sorry for worrying you like that, and I didn't mean to act like I was afraid. I just...I just need some...some..." Tears came, yet again, to her eyes, and Kagome ran into Kaede's hut in shame at her cowardice.

"Don't even think about following her," Inuyasha growled, and Kouga stopped mid-step, turning to glare at the hanyou.

"What's wrong with her?" He hissed dangerously, his body moving into a battle stance, causing Inuyasha to narrow his eyes.

Finally the hanyou sighed and raised his eyes to the sky in exasperation. "Do you honestly think I would do something so horrible that it would cause her to act this way?" His eyes softened again as he glanced toward the hut.

Kouga shrugged and let out his breath, which he'd been holding in anticipation of Inuyasha's answer, his posture relaxing. "No, you may be a baka, but you would never intentionally do something to my Kagome."

"She's not your Kagome," the hanyou ground out, and Kouga waved it away as though it didn't matter.

"Whatever." Both men turned and stared at the hut where Kagome had disappeared for several minutes in silence before the wolf man spoke again. "But what is wrong with her? She's never been afraid of me before. If you had nothing to do with it, then who did?

Inuyasha could tell by his expression and his tone that Kouga was hurt, and for some reason suddenly felt the need to put the situation in context, for once actually feeling sorry for his rival. "Kagome, while staying back in her time, was attacked and raped," he said, feeling like Mrs. Higurashi had sounded in her kitchen...very mechanical, as though that were the only way to keep the pain at bay.

Kouga instantly tensed again and gave out a long, low growl. "Who did it?" He demanded in a dangerous hiss. "Who hurt her? I swear his hide will be mine when I find him...!"

"She doesn't know who did it, stupid," Inuyasha interrupted, though he certainly understood exactly how the wolf was feeling. "However," He finally added, "I do intend to find out...one way or another."

"Good," Kouga stood back up and relaxed with a snort. "When you do, be sure to let me know."

Inuyasha grinned, and for a short moment actually liked the man before him. They may hate each other's guts, but they also had something very important in common, and that one thing had been gravely hurt. Perhaps, just this once, they could form an alliance and work together to avenge Kagome.

Suddenly the pleasant silence was interrupted by a call of alarm from the village, and Kagome, Miroku, Sango, Shippou, and Kaede all stumbled out of the hut to see what was wrong, not having to wait long to find out.

There was a large gust of wind, nearly knocking everyone to the ground, and then Kagura was standing before them with her usual evil smirk in place, her fan at her side loosely, a hand on her hip. At least a hundred demons were hovering in the air behind her, and Inuyasha and Kouga growled in unison, moving in front of Kagome protectively.

"I see neither of you have changed," Kagura commented mockingly, covering her smile with her fan. She turned so that she was looking straight at Kagome, or rather, the shards around her neck, and her expression turned serious. "Girl, I believe you have something that Naraku wants."

Kagome took a step back.

"Perfect timing, as always, I see," Inuyasha grumbled, unsheathing tetsusaiga and pointing it at the wind sorceress. "Your battle is with me, Kagura, not Kagome."

Kagura eyed him carefully, her beady red eyes flaring dangerously as she seemed to consider something, before smiling again. "You know something, for once you're right, Inuyasha. Your battle_ is_ with me, but hers," she indicated Kagome with a flick of her fan, "Is with him.

And with that she stepped elegantly aside, the demons also parting like the Red Sea, to reveal the one man Kagome did not want to see, and the one man Inuyasha had been hoping she could avoid for a few months. It figured, he thought to himself with a growl, that the one time they weren't wanting to find him he decided to come and find them.

Naraku had his usual smirk in place, dressed in his baboon suit with Kanna at his side, holding her mirror and looking as vacant as usual. He chuckled. "We shall end this today."

Kagome just shuddered.


	4. Chapter Four

**New Author's Notes:** In honor of the one year anniversary of the first chapter of 'The Confessions Trilogy' I have decided to perform a massive edit of this story, and will be going over every single chapter. Below you will find all the original author's notes from the story, because I hadn't the heart to part with them, and then beyond that the new and improved story. Maybe this will become a tradition...we'll just have to wait and see!

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_**Though not described in detail, this story does deal with rape so be warned if that sort of topic bothers you**_

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**Original Author's Notes:** This is an absolute dream come true for me to have so many reviews! I never thought...well, lets just leave it at the fact that I'm shocked. Thank you all so much, I know sometimes you don't want to take the time to review, and those of you who have, I really appreciate it. 

I know some of you feel this story is too depressing, but things are going to start looking up for Kagome here soon because she is going to start learning how to move on...but not just yet. Keep in mind that realistically the healing process doesn't happen over night, but I promise that our beloved hanyou will be with her the whole way. I won't say how it will end though (looks up mischievously).

I hope you continue to like the story, and I love the fact that I'm hearing from reviewers more then once! If you have any ideas for how you would like the story go to, please tell me and I will seriously consider it. I have a general outline in my all-knowing planning journal, but that doesn't mean I can't alter some stuff. Enjoy!

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Title: Confessions of a Broken Heart 

Author: dolphingirl0113

Chapter: Four

Rating: PG-13 (rated for violence, language, and implied sexual situations)

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

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Perhaps it was the fact that his voice, deep and full of evil intentions, reminded her of her rapist, or perhaps it was simply that Kagome had lost all her confidence that night, but either way she found herself backing up like a coward, turning and running straight into Sango, accidentally knocking the demon exterminator over. 

Naraku just laughed as he and Kanna walked towards the two girls tangled on the ground, and Kagome desperately tried to scramled over Sango to get away from that voice. She had to get away. She couldn't stand to hear that evil laugh. But just as she was starting to stand up she felt something grasp her ankles, throwing her back to the ground with a painful thud, pulling her over the dirt, staining her white sweatshirt and soiling the ends of her hair that fell over her face.

"Let me go!" She screamed, trying to pull away, recalling how she had wanted so desperately to fight and get away that night, and feeling, to her horror, just as helpless now as she had then. "Inuyasha!"

"Kagome!" He heard her screaming for him, and tried to get to her, but found to his horror that Kagura had surrounded both he and Kouga with the demon horde, grinning at them both maliciously as though she was immensely proud of what she'd done.

"Like you said," Her voice was low, "Your battle is with me."

"Kagura, you bitch, you'll regret this!" Inuyasha hissed, and Kouga growled to accent the point.

But the wind sorceress just rolled her eyes. "You two really are too predictable for my taste," And she feigned a yawn to accent her point. "Every time that pathetic little girl is in trouble you both come running. You're no fun."

"Kagome is not pathetic!" Kouga cried, launching himself at Kagura, who sidestepped at the last second so that the wolf man found himself face to face instead with a rather ugly, snakelike demon that had opened its mouth to reveal three rows of sharp teeth. Jamming his fist into its mouth, the demon cried out in pain before collapsing, and Kouga jumped over its fallen body to continue the fight, desperately trying to get to Kagome.

"Kagome!" Miroku ran after Kagome, managing to get around the demons and jamming his staff into the vines that held Kagome's ankles. Unfortunately he didn't count on the fact that there would be a barrier, and was sent flying backwards when a jolt of energy ran up the staff and into his body.

"Miroku!" Kagome was truly frightened now, feeling very alone despite the fact that she was in broad daylight, surrounded by her friends. In desperation , she reached out and grabbed for a nearby rock, but her fingers slid right over it, causing several small cuts to appear in her palms. "Let me go! "She cried again, to no avail.

"It's useless to struggle," Naraku commented as though that were an obvious fact. He didn't even seem to be aware of the fact that she was trying with all her might to escape, talking as though they were both sitting and having a civilized conversation. "I've decided to use you to find the jewel shards for me, and so long as you do I will refrain from hurting either you or your companions. It's that simple, Kagome."

Kagome just shuddered. His words were sounding so familiar...so incredibly familiar. Wasn't that all the other man had wanted? How he had promised not to hurt her with the knife if she just cooperated and let him have his way? And yet, in the end, he'd hurt her far more than a knife ever could have...so had it been worth it?

The memories of that night caused her to go rigid, the memory of the knife pressed against her throat causing her to bring a hand to her neck, wanting to make sure the dreaded weapon was no longer there. A different voice rang in her mind, and she started shaking uncontrollably. _Keep still, do exactly as I say, and I won't kill you._

She was absolutely paralyzed now, caught up in the memory of it all, and Naraku was actually surprised to see her stop struggling. This was not the Kagome he had grown accustomed to fighting over the past two years, so what was going on? The Kagome he knew always fought back with everything she had, making it interesting, but this...this was just boring.

As he was trying to solve this latest puzzle Kanna tugged lightly on his robes, and Naraku turned to look down at her mirror, a small smile turning up the corners of his lips as he did so, his question quickly being answered. Within the mirror he saw Kagome lying on something soft, a knife pressed to her throat, and he watched with intense fascination as her memory played out before him. When he returned his gaze to her, she was crying.

"So," he commented in a low voice, "That is why you do not fight." He smirked. "You feel you are unworthy."

Kagome felt such pain in her heart at that moment...such indescribable pain, like she was being torn in two, along with an unbearable humiliation. She wanted to escape, but couldn't, just like then. She was helpless. She would never get away.

The vines stopped pulling her along and she sat up as suddenly a voice echoed in her mind, and Kagome shut her eyes as though to block it out, reaching up to cover her ears with her hands. But it wouldn't go away.

"You are unworthy, Kagome," it mocked cruelly, and she whimpered.

"No," She whispered...but it was futile. The voice was right.

"Inuyasha won't want you now, you filthy little girl! You're dirty and ruined, and it's all because you wouldn't fight back!"

"No!" She screamed louder, trying to drown out the voice with her own, trying to remember all the kind words and support she'd received from her family in the past two days. But the voice wouldn't go away.

"Just give in, Kagome, and let me take the shards," Naraku cooed in her head. "I promise that if you do I will take away all your pain."

Kagome stopped struggling and opened her eyes at that. It sounded so wonderful, the idea of not feeling any more pain or disgust or humiliation. But then she recalled Inuyasha with his handsome face and amber eyes, his voice surrounding her like a blanket. _You're Kagome, and you're the same as you always were_, he had said with a smile, and Kagome believed him. He didn't think she was ruined.

"No," She said again, this time stronger, but when she looked up she found Naraku smiling at her cruelly.

"Oh? You think Inuyasha truly values you now?" The voice in her head was gone, and to her horror he was now speaking out loud...for everyone to hear. And, as was to be expected, Inuyasha, Kouga, Shippou, Miroku, Sango, and Kaede were all watching her intently, the rest of the battle having stopped, with Kagura floating nearby. She felt her confidence shrink again into a rumpled little ball.

"Yes," She whispered, glancing over at the hanyou as she replied, and he smiled reassuringly at her.

But Naraku just laughed again. "You honestly believe that now, after another man violated you, he will want you for his mate?"

"I...I..." Kagome didn't know what to say, and felt her heart sink.

"He has Kikyou, remember? Or have you forgotten that? She is still pure, and untouched by any man." Naraku smirked even more, if that were possible. "Maybe he could have loved you before, but not now! What man would ever want a woman like you now? Not even Kouga would be that stupid!"

"But, he...he said that..."

"Lies, Kagome. They were all lies to get you to go back to searching for the jewel shards again. What do you think will happen once the jewel is complete? Do you truly think he'll stay will you then?"

Kagome felt fresh tears flow down her cheeks, and she closed her eyes in shame, looking away. But more then that, she felt an extreme amount of pain in her gut at the thought of being rejected by Inuyasha...the man she loved.

Inuyasha watched, horrified, as Kagome seemed to believe everything Naraku said. He blinked back his own tears of frustration, feeling himself growl. Did she truly believe he would abandon her that easily? "Kagome, don't listen to him!" He yelled, but Naraku just laughed again, and Kagome shivered.

"Really Inuyasha, you have extremely poor taste in women. First Kikyou, the pathetic priestess who just wanted to be 'normal', and now Kagome, the ruined whore."

"No!" Kagome screamed, and shot to her feet. "I'm not a whore! It's not my fault that it happened!"

"Oh really?" Naraku narrowed his eyes knowingly. "How much did you fight back, Kagome? How much did you struggle before he claimed you?"

She went rigid again as she heard someone voice the one thing that had been bothering her since Hojo had found her lying on the sidewalk, battered and heartbroken. She hadn't really fought back, that was the reality...and she was ashamed of her cowardice.

"He...he had a knife," She stammered, blushing.

"If you truly loved Inuyasha, and were worthy of his love, that wouldn't have mattered," Naraku hissed, as though he were doing nothing more than scolding a child. "If you truly loved him, you would have done everything in your power to keep your purity for him alive...or at least you would have died trying."

"No! I..." She looked away. "I do love him." It was a soft confession, so soft that Inuyasha barely heard. But he did hear.

"Kagome..." He felt like he had grown ten feet tall, warmth rushing through his body.

Her eyes were closed, and fresh tears were running down her cheeks, leaking out of her lids, which were squeezed shut tightly as she tried to block out the memories flooding her system. And as a result, she had no idea what was headed her way.

Naraku turned to Kanna, who looked up with her usual blank expression. "We can use this new development to our advantage," He muttered, and she nodded.

"But you need time," She replied in her sweet child's voice, sounding like she was part of a faraway dream.

Naraku nodded. "You know what to do."

A bright light followed, and Inuyasha looked up to see Kanna launching an attack at Kagome, who was standing as though she wanted to be hit. "Idiot!" He cried, running towards her as fast as he could. "Look out!"

Kagome felt herself being roughly shoved out of the way, hitting the ground, and looked up to see Inuyasha standing in front of her protectively as a wave of light consumed him. "Inuyasha!" She screamed, and watched as he fell over, a horrified look on her face.

When the dust settled Naraku was gone, but everyone knew he would be back. Kagome didn't care. All she could think about was the unconscious man on the ground before her. The man she loved...hurt because she had been too weak to defend herself.

"Inuyasha..." A solitary tear fell down her cheek and landed on his face just as he started blinking awake.

"Kagome, you're so stupid," He whispered, his voice gravelly with pain, "Don't ever think that you're unworthy." She felt more tears at the corners of her eyes seeing that he was in such obvious pain, and yet, hearing his words, she couldn't help but smile slightly.

"He needs help," she commanded, glancing over at Sango and Miroku for assistance. They understood, and helped her carry the hanyou into Kaede's hut, Kouga close behind.

Inuyasha grunted in pain, his body aching from taking the full blast of the attack, but he wasn't concerned. He would recover. He'd endured much worse before...but damn! It hurt just the same.

A cold cloth was suddenly touching his forehead, and the smell of Kagome reached his nose. Sighing, he was reminded of a moment a long time ago when he had been in a similar situation and told her that she smelled good. It had been one of the first times he had openly made a distinction between her and Kikyou, and he smiled at the memory. "Kagome, you smell so nice," he commented, and she smiled inwardly in reply, though a frown was still on her face.

"Inuyasha, I'm so sorry," She looked away. "If I had defended myself and not been such a coward, you wouldn't be hurt."

The hanyou grunted. "You're not a coward, you're just stupid. Why in the world would you believe a word that bastard Naraku was saying?" He looked right at her as he spoke. "It's not like you to not pay attention, Kagome...did you actually want to get hurt?" Kagome looked away, ashamed, but Inuyasha stared at her long enough that she swung back to look at him again after a few moments. "Never, ever do that again," He commanded. "You are worthy of living, and more...you are worthy of love and kindness."

Kagome felt fresh tears in her eyes, and looked up when she felt a hand on her shoulder to find Kouga gazing at her intently. "He's right, you know," the wolf said. "There is no reason for you to think any of what Naraku said is true."

"But it is true," Kagome replied with a sigh, feeling her cheeks burning in shame. "I was ruined by a strange man. Why should anyone want me now? Besides, I didn't fight back, just like he said. I should have, but I didn't...I just let him do whatever he wanted, because I was afraid."

"You did what was needed to stay alive," Kouga soothed, his hand still on her shoulder, for once sounding very wise. "There is no shame in that."

"But...if I had fought back he might not have...have...raped me."

"You also might be dead now," Kouga reminded her seriously, and Kagome looked away as he rubbed a hand over her neck and shoulders comfortingly.

Inuyasha grunted. "Watch yourself, wolf, or I might have to do something you won't like."

"I don't see how you can do anything right now, baka," Kouga snapped back, and Kagome felt herself smile.

They truly cared for her, she knew that, but she also knew that, in her condition, she was a danger to them now. She couldn't stay in the Feudal Era so long as she refused to defend herself, because Inuyasha couldn't always be there to save her and still make it out alive. Neither could Kouga, and though she loved Inuyasha, she loved the wolf man too, just in a different way. She didn't want either of them hurt any more on her account.

"Kouga, would you hold this to his forehead please?" She indicated the cloth, and Kouga snorted, acting like he would not, but she took his hand in hers and placed it against Inuyasha's forehead. Both men blushed at her touch, but Kagome ignored it as she rose to her feet and walked outside, ignoring the staring contest the rivals were currently engaged in.

They can't use the cloth to hurt one another, she thought with a smile, and besides, Kaede is nearby, so I have nothing to worry about. Still, an image of Kouga chasing Inuyasha while waving the cloth over his head brought a small giggle up from her chest. That would certainly be funny to see.

"Kagome..." Miroku and Sango spoke and leapt to their feet in unison when she appeared, and Kagome felt herself blush.

"He's doing better," She said, ignoring their sympathetic looks for the time being. "He'll be fine before long...like always."

"And what about you, Kagome?" Sango looked genuinely concerned, and Kagome tried her best to smile in reply, though she knew it was an obviously empty gesture.

"I need to go home for a while," she finally replied, looking away, the direction of the well. "Not for good...just until I figure some things out. I'm a hindrance to you all right now because I'm afraid of my own shadow, and I don't want to put the responsibility of protecting me from every little threat that comes along on your shoulders...I could never do that."

"We would do it willingly, Kagome," Miroku said gently, a genuine smile on his face, and Kagome felt herself warm at the gesture.

"I know, and that's why I have to go for now. This is a time and place where knowing how to defend yourself is crucial, and I'm just not able to do that right now. But I will come back," She glanced at the hut, "Make sure Inuyasha understands that. I just need a little time."

"Are you sure that's what you want?" Sango asked.

"Yes, that's what I need."

"Very well then, I'll escort you to the well," Miroku commented with a slight bow, for once not sending off any lecherous vibes. Kagome smiled at that.

"Thank you, I would appreciate that."

"I'll go with you too!" Shippou bounced up and down before climbing on to Kagome's shoulder and Kagome nuzzled the kitsune fondly for a moment, trying to make up for having acted so cold to him earlier.

"Thanks, Shippou." She turned to Sango, who was standing by the hut. "Tell Inuyasha and Kouga for me?"

Sango nodded. "Of course. Take care, Kagome, and come back soon. I hate being separated from my sister." She smiled and embraced the younger woman fondly, causing Kagome to blush slightly, though she returned the hug.

"Me too," She finally replied softly before turning and walking away, not exactly sure when she would come back, but knowing that, eventually, she would.


	5. Chapter Five

**New Author's Notes:** In honor of the one year anniversary of the first chapter of 'The Confessions Trilogy' I have decided to perform a massive edit of this story, and will be going over every single chapter. Below you will find all the original author's notes from the story, because I hadn't the heart to part with them, and then beyond that the new and improved story. Maybe this will become a tradition...we'll just have to wait and see!

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_**Though not described in detail, this story does deal with rape so be warned if that sort of topic bothers you**_

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**Original Author's Notes:** To answer one of my reviewers, I based this story on rape because I wanted to write about overcoming incredible obstacles in life. Of course there are other ways one can do that, like I thought about basing a story on my own life and the shoulder injury I've had to overcome in order to regain my competitive swimming career...but I figured that story would be pretty boring for people who aren't into swimming. Then, the straw that finally broke the camel's back was when my dad (who's a doctor) saw a girl who was young and pregnant because she was raped. Though I didn't know her, she was my age, and I connected with her that way. I guess I just wanted to put out a story about it, to show that you can recover. 

Sorry, I'll stop now with the serious stuff. Thanks again for all the reviews, again I am waaaay beyond expectations in that department. I'm glad you like the story, and if it ever gets too depressing, fluffy, repetitive, etc, fell free to let me know. This is only my second story, so I am always open to criticism (accompanied with something nice, of course). Thanks so much, and enjoy this next chapter!

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Title: Confessions of a Broken Heart 

Author: dolphingirl0113

Chapter: Five

Rating: PG-13 (rated for violence, language, and implied sexual situations)

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

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"What do you mean she went back?" Inuyasha was sitting on the floor, Kouga off to one side still holding the damp cloth in his hands. Both men looked puzzled...however, Inuyasha also looked furious, causing Sango to sigh in exasperation. 

"She said she needed some time to figure things out, and that she couldn't live with herself if you two were in danger again because of her." Why did you leave this to me, Kagome? The exterminator thought, feeling slightly annoyed as she glanced at Inuyasha. "And I think a lot of her guilt was because of you, Inuyasha."

He scoffed. "Me in danger? Because of her? Keh, that stupid wench really thinks the whole world revolves around her!" He crossed his arms, though no one missed the slight wince of pain as he did so. "Leaving won't change the fact that Naraku will attack again! And besides, she's in more danger in her time without me, because that rapist is still out there! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid girl!"

"Hey!" Kouga shot to his feet indignantly, though the cloth in his left hand took away a certain amount of authority and some of the intimidation factor. But his eyes were still practically smoldering, and everyone took a step back on instinct. "That's my future mate you're talking about...so shut up, dog turd!"

"She's not your future mate, Kouga," Inuyasha sounded like a little schoolgirl arguing with her best friend and rival, and the fact that he accented his point by sticking out his tongue didn't help the situation at all.

Kouga huffed incredulously. "We-well, she sure as hell isn't yours either," Kouga spat, and Inuyasha stuck his nose in the air. Kouga growled. "Don't think I haven't noticed the way you look whenever your dead girlfriend is mentioned, dog boy...I see how much you hurt my Kagome."

"Keh," was all Inuyasha said in reply, and Sango rolled her eyes.

"You two are hopeless," she cried, throwing her arms up in the air out of exasperation. "No wonder Kagome left!" And with that she walked out the door.

Even after she left Kouga kept his gaze trained on Inuyasha, who seemed determined to look at anything but the wolf. "Don't think I'm that blind, Inuyasha," the wolf man finally stated simply. "I know how much Kagome loves you. But eventually I know you'll leave her...she told me as much once...and that means eventually she will come to see me as something more than a friend." Kouga coughed. "Don't think I'm thrilled about being the second choice, but at the same time, for Kagome it's worth a small bit of my pride."

Inuyasha remained silent, though it took all of his willpower considering the sincerity in Kouga's voice. The man really meant what he said, which meant that Kagome had been sincere when she'd said all those things to the wolf in the first place.

And yet, more then that, more then the fact that Kouga was promising to eventually end up with Kagome, Inuyasha couldn't help feeling warm as the reality truly sank in that Kagome loved him. She loved him...Inuyasha, the half breed. The idea made his heart melt into a puddle.

"We have to keep Kagome safe," He finally muttered, choosing purposefully not to respond to what Kouga had just said. After all, he didn't know what would happen when this was all over. However he did know that where once he could only think about going with Kikyou he now felt like he'd regret his choice just thinking about Kagome in the arms of the demon before him.

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Kagome rolled over with a groan as she heard a loud pounding on her door, pulling her pillow over her head, smelling the shampoo she used to wash her hair, the scent having soaked into the pillowcase. As the pounding continued she cringed, recalling the fact that she'd told her mother to just leave her be for now...not to bother getting her up for school, since she had no intention of going just yet. She couldn't handle it. 

"Kagome! Kagome!" It was Souta.

"Souta, go away!" She moaned into her pillow, her voice partially muted. "I'm not going to school today!"

He sounded slightly shy as he replied, clearly hearing the annoyance in her voice. "But there's someone at the door to see you, Kagome, and mama said to wake you up."

Groaning again and this time muttering profanities that would make even Inuyasha blush that early in the morning, she pulled a pink robe over her flannel pajamas and stuffed her hands into the fur-lined pockets, still feeling exposed even though now, thanks to the robe, every inch of her body below her neck was covered. Since that night she'd been extra conscious of what she was wearing, not wanting to wear anything that could in any way entice a man; not that most men saw her in her pajamas, but still...it was the thought that counted, right?

Stumbling to her door, she opened it and was instantly met with the bright sunshine of the hallway, and since her room had been dark thanks to the drawn blinds she was forced to blink stupidly several times before her pupils had a chance to adjust. This morning was not going well...

"Mama? Who is it?" She called as she moved to the stairs, but stopped short the moment she saw none other than Hojo standing in the doorframe, outlined in the sunlight from outside, dressed in his school uniform with a big smile on his face. He was holding a large bouquet of flowers, and his eyes lit up when he saw her.

"Higurashi!" He exclaimed, and Kagome blushed. She hadn't been expecting the guest to be Hojo, but at least she no longer felt so jumpy around him...a small improvement from before.

"Hojo, what are you doing here? Don't you have to get to school?"

The boy looked down with a blush, his blue eyes bright with hope. "I was wondering if I could convince you to come with me today, Kagome."

Her eyes flew open in surprise. "What?"

"I-I know it hasn't been very long since, well, it happened..."

"Try three days..."

"...But I think it would do you some good to get out with people and see that you have nothing to fear. Your friends are all worried about you, as are the teachers. At least go for them, Kagome, to give them some peace of mind."

Silence filled the room, and Kagome wasn't sure what was more unsettling, the idea of going to school and enduring everyone's annoying sympathy, or the fact that Hojo had just said something that made sense. She put a hand to her forehead and sighed. "I don't know, Hojo."

He leapt onto the uncertainty in her voice. "I promise I won't leave you alone," He spoke softly, and Kagome saw that he was blushing again. Did that man ever not blush when he was around her? And how could he be so nice after the way she had treated him that first day when he came to visit her? She had treated him like a monster...like he was truly frightening.

"Don't be ridiculous," she finally replied, trying to make light of the situation. "You have classes, Hojo, you couldn't be with me every second."

"Yes I can," He refuted stubbornly, for once showing some backbone. "I'm so far ahead right now in my classes that I can afford to miss a day or two. Besides," His eyes softened, "If it's for you, I'll do anything."

Kagome wasn't sure if she wanted to smile or gag at the incredibly sweet statement, and in the end settled for something that was akin to a happy grimace. "So I'm your get-out-of-class-free card, is that it?"

Thankfully that statement broke the tension that had been between them since she'd first appeared at the top of the stairs, and they both laughed, albeit Kagome's was more subdued...she just didn't feel like laughing much any more. "I'll go get dressed," she finally said, and Hojo nodded.

"I'll wait for you then."

Once she was alone, Kagome groaned, wondering why she'd let him talk her into such a fete in the first place. She'd come back to her time for some peace and quiet, and a chance to relax...not a homecoming at school that she knew wasn't going to be pretty. She could just envision all the strange looks and whispering that would take place the minute she appeared in the hallways.

"Oh well," she sighed, and ten minutes later was in her school uniform, newly pressed and back from the cleaners, calmly brushing her hair out before her mirror as she examined her reflection, hating what she saw.

Her school uniform, once so comfortable...almost like a second skin...now felt scanty, almost like a bathing suit, and Kagome felt herself wanting to pull the short skirt down with her hands. When had this skirt ever been so short? She didn't remember it riding up so high and revealing so much of her thighs before...had it always been like this?

Wishing for something more comfortable and appropriate, Kagome inevitably found herself thinking of Kikyou dressed in her elegant priestess robes, her long black hair flowing down her back as her eyes observed everything about her with a cool, haughty expression.

Turning back to the mirror, Kagome practically dropped her hairbrush as she saw her own eyes, gasping in horror as she realized that they were just like the dead priestess...without life. When had that happened? Was that why everyone acted so strangely around her?

"Now I'm the one who seems to be made out of clay," she whispered, without meaning to reaching up and touching her face, needing to reassure herself that her skin was warm with life, and that she was not needing to call for some dead souls in order to stay alive before turning to leave, not wanting to see that stranger in the mirror ever again.

Hojo was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs, just as he'd promised, with his hands in his pockets and a lopsided grin on his face. As she descended, Kagome tried to give him the best smile she could muster under the circumstances, wishing to make up for the way she'd treated him a few days earlier when he'd tried to help her.

Mrs. Higurashi was waiting by the door as well with a paper bag in her hands and a beaming smile on her face, looking for all the world like there was nothing wrong. Kagome appreciated that, and couldn't help but return the smile as her mother handed her the bag. "I made you a lunch after I heard you were going, just in case you decide to stay for the entire day, and wrote you a note as well for the attendance office. Hojo has it."

Kagome nodded. "Thanks, mama." Without thinking, she threw her arms around the older woman and felt warm as her mother returned the embrace. Had her arms always felt that strong and secure?

Finally, pulling away, Kagome looked at the door and felt a small amount of foreboding in her stomach as she moved forward, a part of her desperately wanting to turn and bolt back up the stairs and into her room. But she managed to gather her courage and kept walking.

"I won't be home when you first get back from school," Mrs. Higurashi called out, and Kagome nodded again. "So be sure to just let yourself in through the back door." And with that the door shut behind her, and Kagome was outside, walking towards the steps that led down to the sidewalk.

It was a pleasant afternoon, she had to at least appreciate that, with the sun shining brightly down on the city of Tokyo, the sky a beautiful blue, a warm breeze rustling the few trees that lined the paved streets. Yet Kagome didn't notice it for long, preoccupied as she was with other things, such as surviving the day.

Sweat actually broke out on her body as the school came into view, and Hojo took her hand in assurance when he saw her wiping her brow, her arms trembling slightly. For once, rather than reject his offer, she accepted his hand and squeezed it tightly, noticing his smile in response.

"You'll be fine," he commented soothingly, and Kagome found herself amazed yet again at his sudden change in attitude. She'd had no idea he could be this...well...deep.

It was a good thing they were running a little late, because the courtyard was empty, which meant Kagome wouldn't have to see anyone for another few minutes yet. "You don't have to come with me everywhere, you know, Hojo," She said, turning to look at him as they approached the main office.

"But I want to," he replied with a genuine smile, sounding like that was obvious. Kagome simply nodded and kept walking.

A small woman with large spectacles was sitting behind the main counter as she watched a compact television, but turned with a smile when she saw them approach. Kagome could see recognition dawn in the woman's face, but also noted that she was trying to hide it...and doing an admirable job.

"How may I help you dear?" The secretary's voice was high, too high. It grated on Kagome's nerves.

"I've been gone for two days," she replied, her voice surprisingly strong as she extended her hand to Hojo for the note her mother had written. He handed it to her with ease. "I need to check back in. I have a note from my mother," she handed it over and the woman took it, reading slowly, her spectacles at the edge of her nose.

"And your name is?" She finally asked.

"Kagome Higurashi."

The woman jerked slightly, and Kagome knew she had just confirmed the earlier suspicions of who she was, though she still acted like nothing was amiss. "Very well," she finally commented, putting the note on top of a large stack. "Is that all?"

"Yes, thank yo..." But Kagome stopped, her attention suddenly directed at the television on the counter. What she saw made her gasp.

There, in the middle of the screen, was a picture of her, followed by the mug shot of an unfamiliar man with pale skin and blazing red hair. Kagome jerked, however, when she recognized the eyes. They were the same as her attacker!

It was the first time her rapist had a face. Before, all she could remember were those hideous, beady green eyes, the only feature that had been visible through the ski mask, but now he had a face as well, and it was a hideous site. She began to shake as she listened to the words of the reporter.

"Though she has not filed an official report with the police as of yet, it is believed that Ms. Kagome Higurashi is the third victim this month of Ted Wilkins, a rapist who police are desperate to catch. It was Ms. Higurashi's own mother who allowed the release of the initial report, hoping a new lead could be found. If anyone has seen this man, you are asked to call..."

Kagome tuned out what the reporter said next, unable to process what she was seeing. Her mother had given permission for her information to be released? Without telling her? When had she done this?

Her body was shaking. Her face...on the news...announcing that she was a rape victim...for the entire city to see! It was more than she could bear, and she wanted to turn around and run back home.

"Kagome, lets go," Hojo commanded softly, looking concerned, and Kagome let him lead her out the door and down the hall to her classroom, her body shaking, but stopped at the door. Hojo gave her a questioning stare. "Do you want me to come with you into class?"

Not sure she wanted to go in at all after what she'd just see, Kagome found herself nodding despite the fact, figuring that since she was already at school she might as well suck it up and enter the classroom. "If you want," she finally managed to whisper.

He lowered his head to get a good look at her eyes, and frowned. "Are you okay?"

Her eyes filled with tears, but Kagome wiped them away furiously, frustrated that she was about to cry yet again. Damn it all, she refused to put on a waterworks display right there, in the middle of her school! "No," she rasped out, her voice cracking, but straightened her back anyway and moved to turn the doorknob.

It was the longest moment of her life as the class stared at her, and Kagome blushed, feeling extremely self-conscious. Somehow she found the strength to walk, and slowly moved toward her seat, looking straight ahead once she'd sat down. Thankfully the teacher didn't even question Hojo's presence, but instead allowed the young man to lean against the far window, his dark eyes never leaving Kagome, which made her feel safe...but it also made her long for another pair of eyes which were a golden amber.

At least after that first momentous occasion the day passed in a mostly uneventful fashion, much to Kagome's relief, though she did notice a few of the younger girls walk by her while whispering frantically to each other. Within a week, she promised herself, they would have someone new to talk about...that was how high school worked, after all.

Surprisingly the final bell was ringing before she knew it, with students getting up to leave, and Kagome made to follow them quickly, surprised when Hojo stopped her. He had that familiar question in his eyes again, along with an annoyingly familiar amount of hope. "Are you coming to play practice?"

Kagome winced, having completely forgotten about the play. She didn't really want to think about it, or go to practice, because it would mean more time in public...but figured, in the end, that it couldn't hurt. After all, what was she planning to do instead when she got home? Mope around in her room?

"Alright," she finally replied, albeit reluctantly, as Hojo led her happily down the hall towards the auditorium, where several of the students in other roles had already gathered.

Mrs. Dun beamed with excitement when she saw Kagome, and immediately rushed the girl and kissed her on both cheeks in her usual fashion. "Oh Kagome, I'm so glad you came. It just proves how strong you are. I'm so proud of the way you're handling this...it's just awe inspiring, really." She made a flourish with her hands. "You're a true Juliet now, overcoming great adversity."

Blushing at the praise, Kagome noticed the other actors that were already on stage staring at her as they held their scripts open, rehearsing lines. "I figured I'd better come so you didn't end up giving the part to someone else," she lied, knowing it reality she never would have come if Hojo hadn't pressed her, and that she could have cared less at that point who played Juliet.

Mrs. Dun smiled. "Well there's no fear of that," The woman shook her head to accent her point. "I told you that the night..." But she trailed off, seeming to rethink what she was saying. Kagome just blushed again.

"What scene are we rehearsing right now?" Hojo interrupted, breaking the tension and causing Mrs. Dun to seemingly wake from some kind of trance, smiling brightly once more.

"Well, since neither of you were here in the beginning, we are currently rehearsing the opening scene with the big fight, but once we're done with that I would like to rehearse Act I, Scene V, where Romeo and Juliet first meet."

"Very well," Both students mumbled as they set down their bags on nearby chairs and picked up their heavily marked scores. Kagome had to admit that it felt surprisingly good to just be normal that day, and the play was kind of refreshing...at least, when it was just her and Hojo on stage.

Unfortunately whenever she had to rehearse the dancing scenes with the man who played Count Paris she started to feel herself get extremely nervous, and danced so far away from him that at one point Mrs. Dun was forced to say something, her voice somewhat exasperated. "Kagome, you are supposed to be a lady of the middle ages, and desperately wanting to get married. Do you honestly think you shall find a husband if you treat them all like a walking form of the plague?"

Blushing, Kagome shook her head and apologized, allowing the man to put his arm around her waist, his other holding her hand. He seemed kind enough with warm eyes and dark hair, but she still couldn't shake the nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach, and her body began to quake slightly without her control, even as Hojo began to speak his lines.

"_What lady's that which doth enrich the hand  
__Of yonder knight?"_

Kagome found Hojo's voice comforting since it was something familiar in this mist of uncertainty that now surrounded her, and was able to relax somewhat as she focused on the sound, though the shaking of her body still persisted.

"_O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright.  
__It seems she hands upon the cheek of night  
__As a rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear-  
__Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear.  
__So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows  
__As yonder lady o'er her fellow shows.  
__The measure done, I'll watch her place of stand,  
__And touching hers, make blessed my rude hand."_

It felt like she was floating as Kagome allowed the beautiful poetry to surround her from all directions, almost like the words were cool water in a stream flowing through her hair back in the Feudal Era. To her relief, it enabled her to relax as she imagined a very different man, or rather, a specific hanyou, holding her in his arms as he said these words, and Hojo's voice faded into that of another, one much dearer to her heart.

"_Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight.  
__For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night."_

Without realizing it, Kagome had closed her eyes as her favorite lines from the play washed over her, cleansing her soul. Wouldn't it be wonderful if she was loved this way...by a certain man who, though he did not know it, already held her heart in his hands?

"Inuyasha..." It was only when her current dancing partner gave her a weird look that Kagome realized she'd spoken her thoughts aloud, and she turned as red as a cherry. She did have to admit that it was worth it, though, since she was feeling so much better in that moment.

The boy playing Tybalt began to speak his lines, and Kagome broke away from the dancing, walking to the fake punch bowl and pretending to drink, thinking the whole time the cup was to her lips that perhaps this had been a good idea after all. A smile was on her lips as Hojo approached, carrying his script, though he himself was looking at her intently.

"_If I profane with my unworthiest hand  
__This holy shrine, the gentle sin is this:  
__My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand  
__To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss."_

Kagome blushed when he kissed her hand, reciting her lines from memory, picturing Inuyasha in Hojo's place. It wasn't a half-bad fantasy, really, and she couldn't help but smile as she and Hojo continued to speak back and forth, until...

"_Thus from my lips, by thine, my sin is purg'd."_

The warm feeling instantly faded as Hojo moved in to kiss her. It was only a light peck really, an actors kiss that was more like the touch of kitten's whiskers, yet it was still enough to bring back the horrible feeling of another's lips, though that time had been in a much more sinister, rough, forced way. Her throat closed up, the oxygen ceased flowing to her lungs, and panic took hold.

Backing up and gasping for breath, Kagome instinctively put a hand over her heart to assure herself that it was in fact still beating before even trying to speak. Why was it so hard to breath? "I'm sorry Hojo, I just can't...not yet..."

He looked surprised, not upset, and put an encouraging smile on his face, causing her to feel even worse then she already did. She almost wished he'd fly into a rage or something at her ridiculous behavior. "That's alright, Higurashi, we don't have to rehearse any more today. You've done more than enough for your first time back in public." He glanced over at Mrs. Dun. "If that's alright with you, of course?"

Mrs. Dun smiled back and nodded. "Of course it is. Benjamin needs to practice his Queen Mab speech from Act I, Scene IV anyway if he has any hope of pulling off the role of Mercutio. Even though you are technically in the scene with him Hojo, I can work with him individually for a while."

"Thanks," he replied, and walked over to Kagome. "Are you ready to go home? She nodded and they left quickly after collecting their bags.

The walk home was, for the most part, silent since Kagome couldn't stop blushing like a fool, humiliated for acting like she had at play practice. It must have been humiliating for Hojo as well, when she'd backed away from him, that is. People might take it the wrong way and think he was a bad kisser or something...not that she'd know, or anything, but still...

Mercifully the shrine steps came into view just as the sky was turning red from the sunset, and Kagome turned with a forced smile in place. "Thank you for everything today, Hojo, I really appreciate it."

He bowed and smiled. "It was my pleasure, Higurashi. What happened to you was unfair, but you will get through this, I promise. You just need to take it one day at a time."

Kagome found herself smiling a true smile then at his kind and genuine words. For once it hadn't been stifling to be around him, and she found the feeling he was giving her rather nice. If not for Inuyasha, then perhaps...she shook her head and turned to walk up the steps to her house. After all, what good ever came from thinking about what could have been? The reality was she loved another, and was sure she would for the rest of her life, even if he did eventually abandon her for another woman.

Mrs. Higurashi wasn't home, just like she'd said, but Kagome, out of habit, walked to the front door first before remembering. She started to head around back but stopped when she noticed something white taped to the doorknob. It was a note. Thinking it was from her mother, she tore it off to read, but her heart began to race as she did so.

**Don't file a report with the police. You will regret it.**

Written in red ink, the words could not have more plainly stated who the letter was from if someone had actually signed it. It confirmed that the man on the television was in fact her rapist, because it could not be a coincidence that the note had appeared the same day the news decided to broadcast his picture. He obviously feared that, after seeing the news, she would gather the courage to report him to the police.

But more then that, Kagome shuddered at the thought that he knew where she lived.

She was shaking now as she reread the note, dropping her school bag to the ground. All the fear was back, like it had never left, and she couldn't take it. Her world was blacking out, and in that moment Kagome did the only thing she could think of to regain what little sense of security she had formed throughout the day. She took off at a dead run for the well.


	6. Chapter Six

**New Author's Notes:** In honor of the one year anniversary of the first chapter of 'The Confessions Trilogy' I have decided to perform a massive edit of this story, and will be going over every single chapter. Below you will find all the original author's notes from the story, because I hadn't the heart to part with them, and then beyond that the new and improved story. Maybe this will become a tradition...we'll just have to wait and see!

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Though not described in detail, this story does deal with rape so be warned if that sort of topic bothers you**_

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**Original Author's Notes:** I can't believe it! Over one hundred reviews! Have I mentioned before that this is a dream come true for me? Thank you all so much!

Just to clarify something that one of my reviewers said (actually, two things) I know that normally the news would not broadcast your face without permission, and that it is extremely unlikely that Kagome would actually find her face on television without her knowledge, but for the sake of the story I'm taking a few liberties. Also, I know that Ted Wilkins is an American name, but unlike some hardcore anime fans, I don't take Japanese or anything similar, so I'm not as creative with names. Mrs. Dun isn't exactly a creative name either...but thanks for mentioning that, because you're right, normally a lot of this wouldn't happen, and there wouldn't be a guy named Ted Wilkins in Japan unless he was from America originally, but for the sake of the story...bear with me, okay?

Thanks again for all the reviews. I almost left you all with another cliffhanger, but decided to be nice this time so, if at one point the transition seems a little choppy, that's just me trying to please my wonderful readers. Call it my gift to you for giving me over one hundred reviews! But enough of me jabbering...on with the story!

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Title: Confessions of a Broken Heart 

Author: dolphingirl0113

Chapter: Six

Rating: PG-13 (rated for violence, language, and implied sexual situations)

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

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A strong sense of dejavu was unavoidable as Inuyasha found himself pacing beside the Bone Eater's Well once again, just like he had been before, the sky just as blue and the birds just as loud in their attempted song. The only difference was that this time he made no move to jump across time, because he had the feeling that Kagome truly wanted to be left alone. But why...? Had he done something wrong? 

It would be two days that night since she had left, and all the hanyou could think about was her returning to him...to his arms, and behind the protective barrier he swore to erect whenever she was around. He'd be damned if he ever let her down again, which was why he was struggling currently with the fact that he hated not knowing if she was alright.

Finally, deciding it would do him no good to wear out his legs by pacing, Inuyasha sat down on his haunches, crossed his arms, leaned against the old structure of the well, and rested his chin on one of his fists thoughtfully. But even that only kept him calm for so long, and in the end he found himself rising to his feet in frustration and headed back towards the forest, mumbling under his breath, "If she's not back by late tonight, I'm going to get her." After all, she had no right to stay away for so long and worry him half to death!

Thankfully, Kouga had returned to his caves earlier that day with the excuse that he needed to reassure his tribe that he had not abandoned them. It made sense, especially since, as a demon, he needed to constantly refresh his scent on his territory so that surrounding wolf tribes didn't get any funny ideas, and frankly Inuyasha was relieved that the pesky wolf, and his longtime rival, was gone for the time being. The hanyou would be much happier if the wolf man and his Kagome remained at a friendly distance at all times.

Wait.

Inuyasha stopped dead in his tracks, his posture going rigid as he cocked his head to the side. "Did I just say _my_ Kagome?" His voice rang out into the silence, confused and shocked, and it was a pity Kagome wasn't around at that moment to witness the absolutely ridiculous expression written all over his face, as though someone had stuck his own foot in his mouth.

A cool breeze brushed past his face, ruffling his hair, and Inuyasha's sensitive nose became instantly alerted to a familiarly tragic scent...one of earth and clay. Raising his nose higher in the air, he sniffed more thoroughly, just to be sure, before taking off in the direction of the smell, one word escaping his lips. "Kikyou..."

It had been so long, he thought, since he'd last seen her. And the few times he did were always tense and somewhat awkward, especially lately, when the conflict raging in his heart had become almost unbearable. Frankly, even though he had been worried about her, Inuyasha had still almost been grateful that Kikyou had been keeping her distance of late. It meant he had more time to spend with Kagome without seeing the typical hurt expression that came to her eyes whenever the dead miko was mentioned.

She was sitting within the safety of the strong roots of the Goshinboku, her body resting as though in a cradle of sorts, with her legs over one end and her back resting against the other, her eyes closed as her soul stealers surrounded her like protective guardians. Her hair was undone, blowing about gently at the mercy of the wind, and with the green light of the eel-like creatures she seemed almost like some otherworldly spirit. Of course, he reminded himself, she technically was of the other world...she even smelled of the earth.

After several minutes she finally seemed to sense his presence, opening her eyes and looking up to catch his gaze in her own. Her eyes were still as dark, beautiful, and penetrating as they had always been, and Inuyasha felt drawn into their depths, helplessly unable to look away.

She allowed a half smile to form on her face as she spoke, her voice deep and rich like velvet. "I knew you'd come."

"Kikyou..." He murmured her name again, and this time she looked away.

"So...Kagome has been violated," She stated frankly, her tone cold, albeit not cruel.

Inuyasha took a step back in surprise, his eyes wide. "How...how did you know?"

The miko smiled again slightly, reaching up and stroking one of the floating eels above her gently. "I have my ways," she replied, still not looking at him.

He hardened his eyes, for some reason not liking the idea that she was spying on them all the time without their knowledge. "Why are you here? If you think you can..."

She put up a hand for silence, and he obeyed. "Relax, Inuyasha, I'm not here to collect on your promise. I'm merely here to tell you I think it would be wise for you to keep Kagome in her time for now." Her tone remained serious.

"What? Why?" Inuyasha cocked his head suspiciously, resembling a baffled puppy, wondering what exactly was going through his former lover's mind. Then he stopped short...did he just call her his _former_ lover?

Kikyou rose to her feet, her red and white robes surrounding her like a delicate cloud of smoke...gentle, mysterious, and untouchable. "Naraku knows of her weakness, and will use it against her," She explained. "He wants the shards that she carries, as he is close now to obtaining all the others. He also needs her to locate the remaining missing shards, and as such he will not top hunting her until she is his. She is crucial now to his success." Kikyou smiled sardonically. "As I am the key to his failure...even in that we are different."

As she spoke Inuyasha found himself studying the miko, trying to determine if she was telling him this to protect Kagome, himself...or if she just had yet another hidden agenda, like she'd had so many times before. After all, ever since she'd come back, Kikyou had tried everything within her power to get rid of her reincarnation, and while Kagome didn't realize it, Inuyasha knew about everything Kikyou had done to her, including the many attempts she had made on her life. Like Kikyou, he had his ways of knowing...

The thought, strangely, brought a smile to his face as he thought about the sweet girl no doubt currently sound asleep on the other side of the well. It was so like Kagome to put aside her own suffering and pain for others...or, more to the point, for him. In order to preserve the image of the perfect woman who he had loved fifty years ago she refused to play the part of the tattletale, always managing to skim over the details when he found her in a ruffled state of mind thanks to Kikyou. She was even willing to stay with him when he openly admitted he had chosen another...another who had once gone so far as trying to kill her.

"Kikyou, how do I know that what you say is advice meant to help Kagome?" He finally asked, his voice slightly shaky. "After all, you've tried to get rid of her before."

She eyed him steadily. "If your trust in me is that thin, Inuyasha..."

"You're damn right it is!" He felt a chord within him snap, all the anger, pain, and hurt over what had happened to Kagome, his Kagome, flooding to the surface with that one simple statement. "You have hurt her, purposefully put her down, insulted her, several times tried to force her down the well for good, and once..." He pointed an accusatory finger in her direction. "Once you even tried to kill her!"

"To my everlasting shame," she acknowledged softly, looking away once more.

Inuyasha couldn't help the bitter laugh that bubbled up from his chest in response to that. "You feel no shame, Kikyou...you feel nothing! Even now, when Kagome has been...has been...horribly, brutally attacked, all you are thinking about are ways to get her out of your life for good!"

Why was he saying this? Why was he being so cruel? It wasn't all true, after all, he knew that. Kikyou did feel, although he had to admit that sometimes he wasn't sure exactly how much...still, she didn't deserve what he was saying at that moment. She didn't deserve to be his punching bag.

As though reading his thoughts, Kikyou whirled around, and Inuyasha instantly swallowed any other bitter words he was about to spit out when he saw the tears rolling down her cheeks, a deep rooted sorrow in her eyes, as though she carried the weight of the world on her back.

"Do you think..." She actually choked as she spoke, and tried again. "Do you think I wanted this to happen to her, Inuyasha?" She shook her head elegantly, staring at the ground, her hair billowing out around her in the wind. "No matter what I have done to her in the past, I would never, never wish this on Kagome. She does not deserve such a cruel fate...no woman does..."

She turned away momentarily, and Inuyasha stepped forward a few steps, unsure of what to say. He felt lower then dirt at that moment. "Kikyou, I'm sorry..."

"She saved my life once, you know," the miko interrupted, as though he had never spoken in the first place, the sound coming from her lips both haunting and beautiful.

"What?"

Turning around and meeting his gaze once more, she smiled sadly, her cheeks still wet, and nodded. "Yes, though it was some time ago now. She and I were lured into a cave containing a monster, and were trapped. Only mikos could be trapped in such a way, because this monster fed off the power of a priestess." The usually stoic miko smiled wider at the memory. "The girl couldn't stop asking questions...always so curious...but at the same time also very strong and brave."

She sighed, paused for a moment, and then continued. "I was dying...my soul stealers were unable to break through the barriers to get to me, and I told her to take my arrows and escape with her life. But she refused to leave girl that she is...instead carrying me with her as she traveled to the middle of the cave, where she, on her own, fired an arrow and destroyed the monster, freeing us both. Later, when I asked her why she saved me, she simply turned and said that it was because if I died, someone would be very sad."

Kikyou looked directly at Inuyasha then, and the hanyou felt a jolt run through his body, knowing exactly who that someone was, and also feeling his heart swell with pride as he thought of Kagome's extremely generous act to one who, in all truth, did not deserve such kindness. He recalled a day, some time ago, when Kagome had disappeared after they had a fight, and he hadn't found her until it was dark. She had given him no explanation as to where she had gone, and at the time he had not asked for one. Now he wished he had. He wished he could have known...

"Kikyou, I'm sorry I got so made at you," he offered lamely. "It's just that..."

"We all need to use someone for our anger, Inuyasha," She replied, putting her hand up once again for silence. "I certainly used Kagome many times when I should not have, like the day when I left her for dead after stealing her shards and giving them to Naraku. I wanted her to hurt like I did, to understand loss the way I do...I somehow believed that if we shared pain then my own suffering would vanish. But it didn't." Kikyou sighed. "You can't end cruelty with more cruelty. The old saying an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth is false...because then the whole world would be blind and toothless."

"Kikyou..." Inuyasha didn't know what to say or do. For the first time since her resurrection, she actually sounded like the woman he had fallen in love with all those years ago. She sounded kind and warm...not cruel and calculating, like a woman out for revenge.

She looked at him again. "I didn't come here to clear my own conscience, Inuyasha," Her voice had reverted back to its cold demeanor once more. "I came to tell you that Naraku plans to attack and take Kagome soon."

"How do you know this?"

"As I said before, I have my ways."

"Kikyou...you really want to help her?"

Kikyou smiled again, that tragic smile that wrenched at the heart. "You still only hear half of what others say," She chuckled, obviously lost for a moment in memory. "But if you'll recall, I said earlier that no one deserves what happened to her. She need not suffer any more because of this than she already has. And besides, she saved my life...I am now in her debt, which is not a place I'd like to be."

Inuyasha felt himself nodding in understanding, and the two stared at one another for several moments, remembering a time long past...a time they could never have back.

Suddenly a scream pierced the air, and Inuyasha stiffened, jerking around. He knew that voice, and what's more, he knew that scent...it was Kagome!

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Clutching the note in her hand, which was still shaking like a leaf on a winter night, Kagome climbed out of the well, tears in her eyes. Would she never be able to escape him? She wanted to forget that night, to lock it away in the darkest recesses of her mind and never look at it again, and as such filing a police report had been the last thing on her mind. Yet he assumed she'd do it, and was now watching her every move. The thought caused her to tremble and cry in fear. 

She felt incredibly sick, as though her body wanted to practically turn itself inside out, and before she could move another step she found herself retching all over the ground, emptying the contents of her stomach. She couldn't handle this sort of pressure for much longer. Perhaps she should never go back to her time again!

As she rose back to her full height, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, Kagome felt a whisper of wind on her cheeks, and whirled around, looking to see if there was any sort of unnatural cause of the disturbance, to be met with nothing. Gods above, when had she become so jumpy?

"Inuyasha...?" Her voice was weak, and utterly unrecognizable to her ears. It disgusted her, and she shook her head, feeling like nothing more than a coward as she turned to sit down on the lip of the well to think for a few minutes and calm her racing heart.

But the moment she turned around a large demon that looked like a fox grabbed her and pulled her against its chest, squeezing so hard that her abdomen felt like it would shatter her ribs from the pressure. She wanted to scream, but felt all the air in her body forced out by his tight embrace.

"You will come with me," he said in a horribly cruel voice.

"No...please let me go," she begged, not wanting any more pain or struggle. A flash of light told her that the demon had a shard in his throat, and since it was black she could guess who had given it to him.

Naraku.

"My master is in great need of your company," the demon continued as though he wasn't even aware of Kagome struggling against his arms, and it quickly became painfully obvious that she was much weaker then her latest captor, just like before...

Oh god, her heart wailed, would it always come back to that night?

"Tell Naraku to stay the hell away from me!" She elbowed the demon in the eye, and he let her go. She started to run, but was instantly tackled to the ground, her breath leaving her in a painful whoosh. The position was so like before, with her underneath a heavy creature and powerless to stop him, that she went rigid and did the only thing she could think of. She screamed. "Inuyasha!"

"Kagome!" Running as fast as he could, Inuyasha feared he wouldn't make it in time to save her. He had never heard such a desperate scream from the girl before.

When he emerged in the clearing by the well he found Kagome pinned beneath an ugly fox demon who was growling at her menacingly, holding a clawed hand up to her throat. "You little bitch," he hissed, causing Kagome to cringe, "You'll pay for that!"

But before the demon could utter another word Inuyasha was running towards him, swinging the tetsusaiga, careful to avoid Kagome with the sharp blade. "Get your hands off of her, you bastard!"

The demon leapt to his feet with a look of surprise, backing away instantly on instinct. Kagome sat up, and Inuyasha ran to her side. "Kagome, are you okay? Did he hurt you?"

"N-no, I'm alright," she managed to stammer, but when she looked up his heart sank. The doll eyes were back in full strength.

"Inuyasha!" A woman's voice called out, and the hanyou whirled around instinctively, clutching Kagome to him protectively.

Kikyou ran into the clearing, her loose hair flying about wildly, an arrow notched in her bow. The soul stealers hovered just behind her, and her intimidating stance and stare caused the demon to take yet another step back.

"You...you're that woman...the one Naraku talked about," he spoke, his voice shaking.

Kikyou smirked. "My reputation precedes me these days," she commented, raising her bow. "Oh well, it saves me the trouble of an introduction."

The fox demon looked terrified now. "No, please...I was just following orders, I meant no harm! Naraku didn't want her killed, he just wants the girl to find the jewel shards! Please, I..."

But he spoke no more, for a purity arrow lodged itself within his heart, and the demon vaporized, his soul vanishing into the sky, pure at last. The shard that had been in his neck fell to the ground, still glowing black, and Kikyou walked over calmly, picking it up and fingering it lightly in her hand.

It was silent in the clearing once more, save for the birds that had begun to rustle about now that the commotion was over, and even the sun was attempting to break through the slight cloud cover in the sky. All in all it was a rather deceptively pleasant scene, unlike the tension now filling the air.

Kagome didn't know what to say or think. Inuyasha, who was still standing with his arm around her waist, had saved her, but so had...Kikyou. "Why?" She whispered before she could stop herself, and the older miko turned to look at her reincarnation steadily, remembering when she had asked the same question.

"Inuyasha, may I speak to Kagome alone?"

The hanyou tensed, not wanting to leave the shaking girl in his arms alone ever again. "Why?" He asked warily, and Kikyou shook her head sadly.

"I won't hurt her, and you can stay nearby to make sure of that. I just...I need to talk to her."

Glancing at Kagome once, Inuyasha reluctantly let her go, watching as she shakily stood on her own feet. He hated the fact that the doll-like Kagome was back, and could only imagine what had happened to make her this way again. When she'd left, while she hadn't been anywhere near returning to her normal self, she'd at least had some color in her cheeks and the hint of her old sparkle in her eyes. Now that was all gone, and they were back to square one.

"I'll be close, so just call if you need me," he assured her, putting a hand on her shoulder for an instant before walking away...slowly.

Once sure he was gone, Kikyou turned again to face Kagome, who was staring at the ground as though it were something fascinating, her ebony bangs covering her eyes. The soft sound of sobbing permeated the air, and Kikou sighed. This could be a lot harder then she'd originally thought.

"Kagome, don't cry," she spoke, her voice cool, hiding the sympathy she felt within. "Whoever he is isn't worth your tears."

Looking up, her eyes red and her face puffy, Kagome scowled. "What do you know?" She spat out bitterly, surprisingly even herself with her sincerity. "You think you know everything, but in fact you know nothing!"

Kikyou narrowed her gaze. "Believe me, I know plenty about suffering," she snapped back, and Kagome instantly lowered her eyes, like she was in submission.

Not going to put up a fight, I see, Kikyou thought in disappointment, for once wishing to have the old girl back who wouldn't stop talking. Whoever her attacker was had really done a number on Kagome's spirit. That would have to end...now. "Look at me," she commanded in a dangerously low voice.

Kagome slowly raised her eyes once more, but this time they were hesitant and fearful without the buoying support of her anger. Her face looks like mine, Kikyou realized with horror...it was completely devoid of all emotion. So unlike the Kagome Higurashi she had come to know.

Finally, choosing a course of action, she forced her gaze to harden once more. "Tell me, how long do you plan on feeling sorry for yourself?" She watched in satisfaction as Kagome blinked several times in surprise.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard what I said. How long will it be before you start living again?" She smirked. "Or do you intend to dwell on one moment for the rest of your life?" Kikyou watched in satisfaction as a faint spark glimmered in Kagome's eyes, and smiled. Good, though thought, anger she could handle. Anger is what she wanted.

"Don't you dare judge me, you bitch!" Kagome sounded dangerous, even deadly, but the miko ignored that fact and allowed the girl to continue. "All you ever do is mope around and feel sorry for yourself and what happened, or else you would have freed Inuyasha from his promise to you a long time ago. And you have the gall to lecture me? Don't you dare to judge me!"

Kikyou stared intently at her reincarnation, and Kagome found herself eventually looking away, unable to stand the penetrating gaze any longer. It was like the elder woman could see into her very soul...and she didn't like it.

"What are you angry about, Kagome?" the miko finally asked with a sigh. "Is it the fact that you were raped, or the fact that you didn't fight back?" Kagome jerked at the question, and that was enough to tell Kikyou she had hit the very epicenter of the problem.

"I'm a coward," the younger woman finally whispered, new tears coming to her eyes. "And that shouldn't surprise you, after all you've said so before. I talk too much, and don't think enough. Even Inuyasha has said I will never be like you."

Kikyou grimaced at that. What exactly had that foolish hanyou made her out to be? A saint? She had been far from perfect in life...so why was everyone so determined to make her so in death? She refocused her thoughts on Kagome. "Since when has anyone's insults stopped you before? I know for a fact that you have defended both yourself and Inuyasha many times, and it was because of you that he made it out alive in several dangerous scenarios."

"But..." Kagome blushed. "I can barely defend myself against simple attacks now. I just...I just freeze. Even now, with that fox demon, I was so caught up in the memory of what happened that I didn't even try to fight back, at least not really." Her blush deepend. "That night, I didn't fight back, and now I never seem to fight back any more." She lowered her eyes in shame, at the same time wondering why in the world she was telling Kikyou of all people her deepest thoughts. "I am unworthy."

Kikyou couldn't believe that Kagome truly meant what she said, and wouldn't stand for such low esteem coming from a girl who had practically re-taught the older miko self-reliance since her resurrection. "If you're expecting me to tell you you're wrong, it won't happen," she stated coldly, and Kagome looked up.

"What?"

"I will not stand here and tell you how good of a person you are, or how worthy you are to live and be loved, or how you are a strong person, because you know all of that already, and I refuse to puff up your self-confidence simply because you need to hear it." Kikyou walked up and placed the blackened shard in Kagome's hand. It instantly turned a healthy pink, and the miko smirked in spite of herself. "You are Kagome...now prove that to the rest of the world."

And with that she began to walk away, feeling much better.

"But...why? Why are you doing this?" She heard Kagome whisper, and turned around briefly, allowing her eyes to soften slightly.

"Because, if you don't make it through this, Kagome, someone will be very sad." She smiled even more as she watched Kagome recognize her own words thrown back at her, deciding to leave it at that and continued to walk away in silence, leaving the younger woman staring at her hand, which still held the now pink shard, lost in her thoughts.

Inuyasha returned shortly after and stared at Kagome for a long time, trying to assess whether she was in better or worse shape then when he had left, and was shocked to see that, when she loked up, the doll face was gone. Kikyou, he thought with an inward smile, what did you do?

"Kagome, are you alright?" He seemed to be asking that a lot lately, but Kagome didn't seem to mind, and neither did he. It was the closest he could come at the moment to verbalizing how much he cared for her, and it made him feel good to do so.

With a smile on her face, Kagome nodded and lifted her head so that the sun was shining into her eyes, warming her body to its very core. "I will be," She said softly, almost as though it were a promise to herself rather than an answer to his question.

Running her fingers over the crinkled piece of paper in her hand, the note from Ted Wilkins, Kagome suddenly knew what she had to do. It was the only way she could think of to get past all of this and move on with her life.

"Inuyasha, I need to go back to my own time again," she heard herself saying with a renewed sense of confidence, and Inuyasha perked up, for the first time since her rape hearing a faint hint of the old Kagome trying to come back.

"Why?" You just got here...and I know you came back scared out of your wits, because you sure as hell didn't look alright when I first saw you." He was frowning now as he thought about it, tempted to force her to stay behind.

But she met his gaze forcefully with her own. "I can't keep running away," She insisted, her voice strong. "I need to face my problems and prove to myself that I can overcome them. That's the only way I can get back to being the person I used to be."

Now Inuyasha wasn't sure if her new attitude was pleasing or unnerving. She wanted to leave again? And go back to her time, where there was a rapist...her around?

It occurred to him then that this time she had actually told him what she wanted to do, rather than simply leaving again without a word, and he realized that perhaps she wanted him to go with her, but was leaving it silently up to him. If that was the case, then he supposed it was okay. "Alright, but I'm coming with you," he said firmly, crossing his arms and expecting a protest.

Instead, he was nearly knocked over as Kagome launched herself into his arms and squeezed him tightly around his mid-section, leaning her cheek against his chest. He blushed and looked down, unsure of what to do but having to admit he liked her there with her hair just beneath his nose, making it possible for him to smell the vanilla shampoo she used.

"Thank you, Inuyasha," she whispered, for an instant burying her face completely in his red jacket before pulling away once more. "And when we get back, the first thing I'll do is tell you everything that happened that night."

At this he jerked, unsure of what to say. "Me? You want to tell me? But...why? Shouldn't you talk to someone like your mother or your grandfather? Someone who understands you and who you trust?"

Kagome smiled, and it was genuine, actually reaching her eyes, causing his heart to melt. She touched his cheek softly and he went completely still, relishing the feeling of her warm skin against his. "I trust you more than anyone else I have ever known," she spoke gently. "I know you will keep me safe, because you always do. And I know you understand me better than anyone else."

He blushed at the praise, his eyes locked with hers momentarily, neither wanting to look away, and he found himself nodding. "Okay, if that's what you want," he finally said, stepping back and crossing his arms, trying, unsuccessfully, to look gruff again. In truth he only managed to look like a complete goof ball, and Kagome giggled.

"Thank you, Inuyasha, it is what I want," she said before turning back to the well. "You go tell the others what's going on, and then come to my house. I'll meet you there, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, sure, whatever wench," he huffed, trying to sound like hew as the one in control, but failing miserably as he took off at a run for Kaede's village.

Kagome climbed back out of the well in her time and walked into the house, smelling fresh brownies wafting out from the kitchen, and smiling slightly before heading up to her room. She opened her hand and saw that the note was still crinkled in her palm, and smoothing the paper between her fingers she read the contents once more.

They still managed to send shivers down her spine, making a part of her want to duck and hide under the covers for the rest of her life, but at the same time another part of her had suddenly come alive following her meeting with Kikyou. _You are Kagome...now prove that to the rest of the world._ The miko's words reverberated through her skull, and Kagome smiled as she felt a glimmer of her old confidence shimmer in the back of her soul.

It wasn't so much the prospect of proving Kikyou right as it was proving everyone else wrong that caused her to suddenly want to defeat this monster that had grown up before her very eyes. She wanted to show Naraku, and everyone else, for that matter, that she could be strong and recover, and she enjoyed picturing the shocked looks on their faces when she did finally completely return to normal.

_I am Kagome...I am Kagome..._

She kept saying that over and over, and each time she did she felt her chest puff out just a little more.

Taking out a small photo album from her dresser drawer, she placed the note in the middle of the pages and gently slid the album under her bed for safekeeping. Before, all she'd wanted was for Inuyasha to see it, go out, and get revenge for her. But now she just wanted to move on, and so knew that her protective hanyou should never see the note.

Eventually, she promised herself, she would file that police report, and hopefully the police would catch this Ted Wilkins...but first, she had to get her own life in order.

With that thought in mind, she headed downstairs, pulled out a thick phone book, and set it with a thud on the counter before opening it and skimming the G section with her finger until she found the name of their local gym. Picking up the phone, she dialed the number and schooled herself to remain calm as it rang on the other end.

"Good afternoon, Fitness-For-You, this is Darlene speaking, how may I help you?"

The woman on the phone seemed nice enough, and Kagome took a deep breath before finding the courage to speak. "Um, yes, my name is Kagome Higurashi, and I was wondering if I could set up an appointment with one of your personal trainers?"


	7. Chapter Seven

**New Author's Notes:** In honor of the one year anniversary of the first chapter of 'The Confessions Trilogy' I have decided to perform a massive edit of this story, and will be going over every single chapter. Below you will find all the original author's notes from the story, because I hadn't the heart to part with them, and then beyond that the new and improved story. Maybe this will become a tradition...we'll just have to wait and see!

* * *

_**   
Though not described in detail, this story does deal with rape so be warned if that sort of topic bothers you**_

* * *

**   
Original Author's Notes:** Thanks again to everyone for all the wonderful reviews. The updates might slow down a little because I'm forseeing a little hint of writer's block (just a little), but it shouldn't be too much of a problem. I know how I want the story to end, I'm just having trouble connecting in a few places...if that makes any sense. But fear not! There won't be more then a day in between updates, I promise! 

Oh, and coming up in the next chapter is some major fluff, so stay tuned, all you lovers of sweet stuff. Actually, it might almost be too much fluff, but I haven't had much of it in this story so far, so I guess I'm making up for that now. I'll stop bothering you all. Enjoy!

* * *

Title: Confessions of a Broken Heart 

Author: dolphingirl0113

Chapter: Six

Rating: PG-13 (rated for violence, language, and implied sexual situations)

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

* * *

"Kagome! Hojo's here to walk you to school!" Mrs. Higurashi called up from the kitchen where she was currently cleaning up from breakfast. Kagome, who was standing and gazing at herself in the mirror, winced slightly and saw in her reflection Inuyasha give her a hurt look as he frowned and averted his eyes. 

"I thought I would be taking you everywhere," he murmured, his ears drooping, and Kagome blushed.

She felt guilty, as she rightfully should. Inuyasha had stayed with her the entire night, sitting at the foot of her bed and keeping watch like he always did, though she doubted any demon would attack her in the bedroom, which mean he himself got very little sleep. Now she felt like she was betraying him in a way, and gave him an imploring look as she turned around and flipped her hair over her shoulders. "Inuyasha, it's not that I don't want you with me, it's just that, well, Hojo feels really guilty for having let me walk home alone that night in the first place, and I think this is his way of trying to make it up to me." She shrugged. "I don't mind, so please don't turn this into a bigger issue then what it really is."

But Inuyasha wasn't listening...his ears had shut down after her first sentence, when Kagome had explained that Hojo had let her walk home alone. That boy was the reason Kagome was raped! "Why didn't he insist on walking you home?" He growled.

"What?" Kagome looked at him seriously, and frowned. "He tried, Inuyasha...I wouldn't let him. I wanted to be alone, and you know how I can be sometimes." She winked, trying to make light of the situation, but saw it did no good when the hanyou growled again. "Inuyasha, please don't...he's really sweet, and would never have let me go home alone if he'd known what would happen. Besides, I'm always turning down his offers for dates, or standing him up...or just ignoring him completely, so you need to cut him a little slack."

"Oh I'll cut him alright," Inuyasha murmured, cracking his knuckles the way he did before a fight, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "I'll cut him right where it hurts, so he won't be able to get back up again."

Kagome walked up with an exasperated sigh and put her hands on her hips. "Inuyasha...sit."

He hit the carpet so fast he barely had time to realize what was happening, the air in his lungs leaving him in a swift rush. And yet, at that moment he was overjoyed, because Kagome was starting to act like normal again. It was almost so wonderful that he couldn't muster a glare in her direction...almost...

Rolling her eyes, Kagome sounded annoyed as she stared right back at him. "Don't give me that look...you know you had it coming." She slung her yellow backpack over her shoulders, puffed her hair slightly in themirror, and turned to leave, walking down the stairs, where Hojo was waiting...with more flowers. She sighed inwardly in exasperation. Between an overprotective hanyou, an egotistical wolf, and a naïve boy, she had her hands full in the relationship department. And why was it that all the idiots seemed attracted to her anyway?

"Higurashi, you look wonderful this morning!" Hojo beamed, seemingly unaware of the fact that she looked like she wanted to punch something. He frowned. "Not that...not that you didn't look wonderful before...I mean, you did...it's just that..."

Kagome waved her hand for silence. "It's okay Hojo, I get it." He blushed and nodded, handing her the flowers shyly. "Uh, thanks," she managed, handing the bouquet quickly off to her mother, who in exchange gave her a lunch sack.

"Have a good day at school, sweetheart," Mrs. Higurashi commented with a smile, kissing her daughter on the cheek, and Kagome nodded, not smiling like she used to. Even though she felt she was able to smile again, it didn't always happen naturally, and she had to keep reminding herself that small steps were needed in her case.

School was boring, and for once Kagome was grateful for that. She couldn't focus, preoccupied as she was with thoughts of what she needed to do in order to move on with her life. Biting the tip of her pencil absentmindedly, she gazed out the window and watched the sky, the puffy white clouds drifting by, her thoughts shifting to the hanyou she'd left in her bedroom that morning...kissing the floor. Now she felt bad, and promised to bring him some ramen to patch things up between them once she was home.

When the final bell rang and Kagome had collected all her books and study materials, she found Hojo waiting for her once more outside her classroom, and he took her hand again without even asking. It was evident that she still needed a sense of security when she didn't resist the contact, like she normally would have.

At first when she found herself being led down the hallway to the auditorium she felt a puzzled frown form on her face. "Where are we...? Oh..." Then she remembered the play, and the fact that she had practice until at least five. She'd forgot to mention to Inuyasha that she would be home late. Oops...

Mrs. Dun seemed to have a superb memory, purposefully steering clear of any possible kissing scenes for the time being, instead rehearsing the first fight between Tybalt and Mercutio, followed by the scene where Romeo kills Tybalt and is then banished. Since Kagome had no lines at that point, she was content to just sit in the auditorium seats and watch.

Finally, as the actors playing Mercutio and Tybalt lay sprawled on the ground, Mrs. Dun clapped her hands in approval as the scene ended. "Perfect! Well done, all of you! That was truly wonderful acting!" She turned to Kagome then. "Kagome, do you think you're up to rehearsing the scene where Juliet kills herself?"

At first Kagome blanched at the idea, not liking the idea of playing out suicide at all, but knew that it had to be done eventually. This was a tragedy, after all, and so long as she wasn't kissing anyone, she assured herself, she could do it. With that thought in mind, she nodded hesitantly and rose to her feet, moving onto the stage.

"Perfect!" Mrs. Dun walked across the stage with her clipboard in her hands, her glasses hanging around her neck from a colorful string, her persona everything a person would expect from a drama teacher: outlandish and unique. And Kagome found she liked the woman all the more for it. "Let's set the stage, shall we? Now you just lie down right here..."

Within a few moments Kagome found herself lying on a cloth-covered table, acting as dead as she could while Hojo recited his lines. She was surprised at how real his weeping and desperation came across, and realized with genuine respect that he was a very good actor.

"_Come, bitter conduct, come unsavory guide,   
__Thou desperate pilot now at once run on   
__The dashing rocks thy seasick weary bark.   
__Here's to my love!   
__O true apothecary,   
__Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die."_

Hojo, thankfully, refrained from kissing her that time, instead having the courtesy to respect her needs and simply 'die'. But as the moments wore on, and the boy playing Friar Lawrence spoke, Kagome found it increasingly difficult to remain still with her eyes closed, and tried to focus on the pain and agony coming from the actors lips, rather then thinking about the fact that Hojo was currently very close to her breasts, lying across her abdomen.

Wasn't he supposed to fall to the floor?

If her heart hadn't been beating like a jackrabbit, and if she had not been extremely nervous, Kagome would have smiled at the extremely Miroku-like move...but as it was, Kagome felt panic returning at the sensation of having a man on top of her. But, she tried desperately to remind herself, he was only in all honesty half on top of her, and his hands were at his sides, so it wasn't like he was trying to do anything.

Still, it was the first battle of wills she had with herself, where Kagome felt a part of her wanting to sink back into fear and melancholy, but she managed to fight the urge valiantly and force her body to remain still until finally her lines came and she was allowed to sit up and speak to 'Friar Lawrence', moving a somewhat reluctant Hojo to the ground.

Rubbing her eyes as though waking from a deep sleep, Kagome blinked several times and looked around as she spoke.

"_O comfortable Friar, where is my lord?   
__I do remember well where I should be,   
__And there I am. Where is my Romeo?"_

"_I hear some noise, Lady, come from that nest   
__Of death, contagion, and unnatural sleep.   
__A greater power than we can contradict   
__Hath thwarted our intents. Come, come away.   
__Thy husband in thy bosom there lies dead,   
__And Paris too. Come, I'll dispose of thee   
__Among a sisterhood of holy nuns.   
__Stay not to question, for the watch is coming.   
__Come, go, good Juliet. I dare no longer stay."_

Kagome continued to recite her lines flawlessly, but knew deep down that they were lifeless. She hated this morbid scene, always had, and it didn't help that its dark undertones only managed to remind her of what she had been through...which only made her more disgusted with herself for losing this first test of wills.

"Kagome, I think that's enough for today," Mrs. Dun finally commented gently just before Kagome could act out Juliet's actual suicide, which would eventually include an actual fake knife, though at the moment the prop people were still working on making it.

Kagome broke out of her haze and blinked stupidly. "Am I that bad?" A blush came to her cheeks.

Mrs. Dun just smiled kindly. "No dear, you just lack the heart today, which happens to even the best of us, so I wouldn't worry about it. I just don't want you practicing while feeling this way, because then you'll develop some bad habits which are hard to break."

Kagome wanted to protest, but she also felt discouraged for letting down everyone else in the practice yet again, and so settled for simply nodding, looking away. Perhaps she wasn't right for the part after all, which was a strange thought to have since, in the beginning, she hadn't even wanted to play Juliet and yet, now, she couldn't imagine doing anything else with her time. Now that she'd known her own pain she could connect with the fictitious girl.

Seeming to read her thoughts, Mrs. Dun pulled Kagome into a warm embrace, and the girl could smell the scent of strawberry candles and spice. She liked it. "Don't worry, honey, you're doing just fine." The teacher pulled back and touched the tip of Kagome's nose with her finger. "Don't ever quit, because on my honor you are the best Juliet I have ever seen...you just need to regain a little of your old confidence, that's all."

Kagome sighed and looked away again, having heard that a lot lately. "Thanks Mrs. Dun," she finally said softly before pulling away from the older woman completely and walking off stage to where her bag was sitting over a chair. Hojo moved to follow her, but she put her hand up to stop him. "No Hojo, you need to rehearse some more." She tried to smile for him. "I Can get home by myself...its still light out, after all."

"Are you sure?" She could see the concern all over his face, and knew he was thinking about what had happened the last time he'd allowed her to leave the school without him.

"Yeah," she finally replied, "I'll be fine. But thanks for offering." She smiled again and he seemed to relax slightly. He never had been one to be weighed down by troubles for very long, and Kagome supposed that's why, despite the fact that he had his annoying moments, she still put up with him. His outlook on life could be very refreshing after she would spend days trying to boost the self-confidence and image of Inuyasha.

Slipping her backpack onto her shoulders once more, Kagome collected her script and walked outside, listening as she shut the door to Mrs. Dun calling for another scene, though she didn't catch which one it was.

Once outside, keeping her eyes trained on the ground, Kagome ran straight into something solid and fell backwards, only to be caught by a strong pair of arms. "I'm so sorry; I should have watched where I was going..." But she stopped her rambling as she looked up and was met with a familiar pair of amber eyes. "Inuyasha...?"

It was indeed him, wearing that ridiculous red baseball cap that Kagome hated so much because it hid his cute dog ears, and because it looked so out of place next to his dated clothing. But she quickly forgot about the hat as she noticed the extremely annoyed expression on his face, including the way his mouth was twisted into a displeased frown. "You were done with school two hours ago, wench! What too you so long?"

His voice was its usual gruff self, and Kagome smiled. Had he come to get her? "Sorry Inuyasha, but I had play practice."

"Play practice?" There was that expression again that he didn't understand. He recalled her talking about it before, and was no closer to knowing what she'd been talking about now then he had been then. "Why should anyone need to practice playing, Kagome?"

She giggled at his response. "I'm not practicing playing, Inuyasha."

"Then what are you doing?" He hated it when she laughed at him like he was stupid or something.

"A play practice is when people get together to practice acting out a story before performing it for others. We call these stories plays, which is why it's called a play practice. Do you understand?"

He frowned. "Yes...are you sure you're up to these play practices?"

Kagome frowned. "Yes, why wouldn't I be?"

"I-I don't know, you've just seemed so...so shy lately. I didn't realize you were doing something like this."

Feeling frustrated, not only with him but with herself for having projected such a weak image of herself the past several days, Kagome put her hands on her hips, and Inuyasha found that she looked absolutely adorable like that, which caused him to smile. She raised an eyebrow. "Just what are you laughing at now, baka?"

"I'm not laughing, I'm smiling."

His response was amusing, and she had to resist the twitch at the corner of her mouth. "Answer the question, Inuyasha."

He blushed. "You just...you just look so cute whenever you stand like that." He looked away as soon as the words left his mouth, and Kagome blinked stupidly, her eyes widening.

Did he just call her cute? He, Inuyasha, the gruff hanyou who could barely ask if someone was okay for fear of telling them that he cared?

"Um...thanks, I guess," She replied, trying to ease the sudden tension in the air by looping her arm through his affectionately, which he didn't push away. "Can you walk me to the gym?"

"The what?"

"Where people go to train."

"Why would you want to go there?"

Kagome sighed. "I need to get stronger, both physically and mentally, so I can protect myself. Do you have a problem with that?"

Inuyasha looked away, the blush still evident on his face. "I can protect you," he whispered, and Kagome smiled, but quickly hid it with a stern expression.

"As much as I know you like playing the hero, I am sick of being the damsel in distress. It's about time I was able to defend myself, don't you think?"

"But Kagome...you can already defend yourself." He was honest, and she appreciated the compliment, but still remained firm.

"Not really," she replied, looking away, seeming suddenly sad.

Inuyasha sighed like a father who was giving in to a pleading child. "Okay fine, you can go to this...this gym place." He shook a warning finger at her as they continued walking. "But I'm waiting for you, and you will not stay for more than an hour, understood?"

"Sound good to me," Kagome replied in a cheerful voice, though it was somewhat artificial. How did she manage to slip into depressed moods so easily?

* * *

Fitness-For-You was a small gym located only four blocks from Kagome's home, and had been around for many years. It was two stories high and made of creamy stucco, giving it a cheerful feeling even from the outside. When Kagome and Inuyasha walked in they were instantly greeted with a large counter, grand stairs on either side leading up to the weight and exercise rooms. To the far left were the basketball, racquet ball, and tennis courts, and to the right down a hallway were the men's and women's locker rooms, complete with saunas and steam rooms. 

A petite woman with brown hair pulled into a short ponytail at the nape of her neck was standing behind the counter reading a magazine when Kagome approached, and smiled as Kagome spoke. "My name's Kagome Higurashi, and I think we spoke on the phone the other day."

The woman nodded. "Yes, I remember...you set up an appointment with Julie for today, right? Okay, I'll let her know you're here." The woman picked up a small black phone to her right and dialed three numbers, putting the receiver to her ear as she brushed back a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

Inuyasha turned to Kagome, a concerned expression on his face. "Are you sure you want to do this?" He growled. "I mean, I smell men everywhere in this place...I don't really think it's all that safe."

Kagome just shook her head and smiled. "its fine, Inuayshaa, and I'll be fine, I promise. Nothing will happen in a public place like this, and besides," She pulled his cap down playfully over his eyes, "I have you to protect me."

Before he could act surprised at her playful mood a large, incredibly muscular woman appeared wearing spandex shorts and a tight shirt. She had blonde hair that was pulled back into a tight bun, and her clear blue eyes were intense. Kagome blushed and glanced down at her own sweatpants and baggy shirt, which she'd changed into before leaving the school, and realized she probably hadn't dressed right for working out.

"Hi, my name's Julie," the woman spoke with assurance as she extended her hand, her grip incredibly strong. Kagome felt admiration for the woman instantly, and wanted to be just like that someday, exuding strength in ever direction. "And your name is..." Julie glanced down at a large notepad in her hands before looking up again, "Kagome Higurashi, correct?" Kagome nodded and Julie smiled. "Excellent. If you'll just come with me, we can get started."

Inuyasha made to follow them, but the blonde woman instantly turned around with a patient smile and stopped him. "I'm sorry sir, but you'll have to wait for your girlfriend down here," she explained kindly, and the hanyou allowed his eyes to open in surprise and his jaw to drop at the implication. But before he could correct her mistake she and Kagome were gone, so he let it go.

"Why don't you go sit in the lounge and just watch some television?" The woman behind the counter suggested kindly and Inuyasha, with a grunt, moved in the direction she was pointing, entering a room with a couch and some chairs, along with a large television and several of the flimsy books Kagome had once called magazines.

It was warm, and Inuyasha felt himself drifting asleep as he watched the hands on the clock tick on the nearby wall, and focused on the sounds around him with his sensitive ears in order to stay awake. He had to be available for Kagome if she needed him, after all.

Thankfully, just as his eyes were closing for good, the television blared loudly the tune announcing the beginning of the five o'clock news, and Inuyasha felt himself jolt awake, nearly jumping to his feet. But he became even more aware when he heard the man on the screen mention Kagome's name, and, just like Kagome had seen a few days earlier, the hanyou now saw her face filling the screen, smiling and looking beautiful. But why was Kagome on the television? He wondered. She'd always said it was a big deal to be on the news...so what had she done? He listened closely to what the reporter was saying.

"Police are now beginning to doubt that Ted Wilkins was behind the rape of Kagome Higurashi, as she has not yet filed a report against him." An image of the redhead appeared, and Inuyasha growled. "Wilkins' whereabouts are still unknown, as the other two women whoa re believed to be his victims have not filed reports either." Pictures of two more women flashed on the screen. "Again, if you have seen this man you are urged to call the police station at..."

But Inuyasha was no longer paying attention. Now he knew who was responsible for raping Kagome, and his blood boiled with rage, his demon instincts telling him to run out at that very moment and hunt the man down like the prey that he was.

Reaching into his robes, Inuyasha touched tetsusaiga's hilt from where it was hidden against his waist, feeling it calm his raging demon blood much the same way ice water cooled a raging fire. After all, he couldn't risk transforming here...he just couldn't.

"Inuyasha?" He turned to see Kagome standing by the door with her schoolbag in her hands, her hair plastered to her forehead in damp tendrils, the smell of sweat on her body. "Are you ready to go?"

Glancing at the clock, the hanyou realized over an hour had passed. "Yes," he grumbled and practically threw himself out of his chair, stomping out the door while taking Kagome's hand and pulling her close behind him. Once they were out of the building he put his arm protectively around her waist and insisted on growling at any man who looked in their direction.

Kagome gave him a puzzled look. "Inuyasha, what's wrong?" She was answered with silence, and decided not to press the issue. Whatever it was, he would tell her eventually, she was sure of it.

But he didn't say a word, not throughout the entire walk, or even once they reached the shrine. Instead he unceremoniously dropped her by the front door and growled again. "Stay inside," he grumbled, then walked away quickly, like a man on a mission.

"Inuyasha, where are you going?" She was truly confused now.

"Just do as I say!" He snapped back, and Kagome went instantly quiet, watching as the hanyou disappeared once more down the shrine steps with one giant leap, determined to find the bastard who had hurt her, and make him pay. To hell with Kagome's modern laws...he would deal with this himself.

Kagome shook her head again in bewilderment once she was sure he wasn't coming back any time soon and stepped into the house. Her mother was cooking soup, she could smell the vegetables, and she smiled, knowing it was her favorite. "Mama, I'm home!"

"Dinner will be ready shortly," Mrs. Higurashi replied, and Kagome nodded, though the woman in the kitchen couldn't see her, and walked up the stairs to her room, depositing her bag immediately on the floor with an unceremonious thud before sitting down on her bed with a sigh. It had been a long day...and there were going to be many more like it in the near future.

The sound of fluttering paper caught her attention, and Kagome looked up to see a note taped to the outside of her window. Her blood ran cold. It couldn't be, could it?

She was fearful as she walked over and took the note down, shut the window, and sat back on her bed once more to read.

**You're doing fine...let's just keep it that way. Do not file a police report.**

Kagome sighed, crinkling the note in her hands. Eventually, she would file a report, and the police would catch the bastard. But for now she would let him think he was getting away with everything, believing that he'd intimidated her into silence. Then, just when he thought he was safe, she would help catch him...and be there to stare him down when that moment came.

Pulling the photo album out from underneath her bed, Kagome placed the second note with the first, looking at the two rumpled pieces of paper side by side for several moments before shaking her head and replacing the heavy book once more out of sight. She'd use the notes as motivation, she decided as she felt her muscles protesting from the hard hours work at the gym.

Julie had worked her hard on her first day, first putting her on the treadmill for fifteen minutes at a brisk pace, and then giving her a one-on-one lesson in martial arts. Kagome didn't care what anyone said, she'd decided that fighting was way harder then it looked...of course, the only one she'd ever really seen fighting was Inuyasha, and he made just about anything physical look easy with his super demon strength.

_You are Kagome...so now prove that to the rest of the world._ Kikyou, the one person Kagome could never hope to be, had faith in her. So why shouldn't she then have faith in herself?

"I will," she promised, her voice unwavering. "I will."


	8. Chapter Eight

**New Author's Notes:** In honor of the one year anniversary of the first chapter of 'The Confessions Trilogy' I have decided to perform a massive edit of this story, and will be going over every single chapter. Below you will find all the original author's notes from the story, because I hadn't the heart to part with them, and then beyond that the new and improved story. Maybe this will become a tradition...we'll just have to wait and see!

* * *

_**Though not described in detail, this story does deal with rape so be warned if that sort of topic bothers you**_

* * *

**Original Author's Notes:** Sorry about taking longer than usual to update, but I've been really sick with some nasty bug. Thankfully, now I'm on drugs (antibiotics, everyone), and the best part is I was struck with some major inspiration for this story while taking many naps, so now my all knowing journal has most of the story planned out to the very end...yay for me! I managed to avoid the dreaded writer's block!

Just a word of warning for this chapter: it has MAJOR fluff content so, if you're one of those people who gets cavities really easily, I'd proceed with caution. I thought about ditching the chapter all together and rewriting it, but after letting it sit for two days and rereading it, I found that I liked it so it's staying! Anyway, I hope you like it, and thanks for all the reviews! Enjoy!

* * *

Title: Confessions of a Broken Heart

Author: dolphingirl0113

Chapter: Seven

Rating: PG-13 (rated for violence, language, and implied sexual situations)

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

* * *

The breeze was a welcome change from the stuffy air of the gym, and Kagome found herself inhaling a deep, refreshing breath, the cool air washing through her lungs like cold water. She sighed, thinking about how everything in her life was finally starting to look up, just like whenever she worked with a jigsaw puzzle and finally started figuring out where the different pieces needed to fit.

Nearly two weeks had gone by since she had first come back home with Inuyasha at her side, having made her resolution to fight her melancholy with everything she had. The first few days had been, bluntly put, hell, with nearly everything causing her heart to race, her skin to crawl, and her fingers to go cold with fear, but with the slow passage of time Kagome could feel herself finally starting to slip back into the comfortable routine she had once called her life, and was beginning to believe, finally, that perhaps it really was possible to move on.

Her trainer, Julie, was wonderful, always encouraging when kind words were needed, but at the same time tough too, never allowing Kagome to slack off or whine about anything. And even though some days Kagome felt like she was going to be worked to death, and that when she finally collapsed on her bed at night she would never rise again, each morning she proved herself wrong...and she was slowly starting to reap the rewards of her disciplined efforts.

Amazingly, in the short time Kagome had been working with Julie, she was already running up to thirty minutes a day, and found that she could easily disarm the trainer in a mock fight, though, granted, the blonde trainer was only fighting at about half her actual potential. Still, it was encouraging, considering the fact that, aside from archery, Kagome had no idea going into the experience how to even punch correctly. The only means of self-defense she'd known was to kick a male attacker in the groin...much to Inuyasha's dismay the first time he'd tried to help her practice in the shrine courtyard.

School was improving as well. Her grades were better, though part of that was merely due to the fact that, for the first time in a long time, she had actually been in school for a record two weeks straight. But more then that, her classmates, as she'd predicted, had finally stopped staring at her like she was a freak animal at the zoo, and moved on instead to their next victim, a poor girl suffering from a severe acne attack.

The play was coming along too. She and Hojo had managed to rehearse the ballroom scene without incident, and Kagome had managed to prevent herself from pulling out of the fake kiss, and had no problem dancing with 'Count Paris'. The only problem that had presented was the fact that, unbeknownst to her, Inuyasha had been secretly watching the rehearsal, kiss and all, and it had only been after several bowls of ramen and nearly two hours of explanations that the hanyou had finally understood that the kiss was not real, but rather merely pretend. Even so, he had not been pleased, and still threatened to punch the poor, unsuspecting Hojo if the need ever arose.

Kagome couldn't help but crack a grin at the memory. He was so protective, and yet, that was one of the many things she loved about him. He was so passionate about everything he attempted in life, putting his whole heart and soul into the very essence of living, and that frequently slopped over into their relationship.

"Inuyasha..."

She truly loved having him around, just his presence enough to make her feel safe and happy in a way Hojo, Kouga, and any other man in her life ever could. And these days he truly was everywhere, just like he'd promised he would be; walking her to school, taking her to the gym, eating every meal at her side, and then talking to her late into the night before settling down at the foot of her bed and playing the role of the sentry.

Sometimes Kagome would find herself caught up in daydreams, and frequently wondered if this is what life would be like were they to get married...but would always stop herself with a hot blush on her cheeks, along with a slight pang of sorrow in her heart. After all, she had to remind herself nearly every day of her life, her hanyou, her beloved Inuyasha, was promised to another.

The sun was just starting to disappear, turning the sky into a pinkish red maze of colors, and Kagome looked up in awe at the shear beauty of the early evening. She loved both sunrise and sunset, when the world seemed to have been painted over with the colors of some amazing artist.

And that particular night was special, as she was very aware of the fact that she was completely alone on the sidewalk. It was the first time she had walked home alone from anywhere since the night she had been raped, and it felt, surprisingly, very liberating, like she had stepped out of a pair of chains, her feet light on the ground beneath her despite the fact that her muscles ached from another long afternoon of exercise. She was so happy, in fact, that she had to resist the ridiculous urge to skip.

That morning she had insisted to both Hojo and Inuyasha, separately, of course, that she wanted to do everything that day on her own, without their help or hovering shadows. Neither man had liked the idea, though Inuyasha had been more verbal with his opinions, but in the end both had agreed, although Kagome had a sneaking suspicion the silver-haired hanyou had followed her to school that morning, and not too far away in the afternoon when she'd walked to the gym either.

The shrine steps finally came into view, and Kagome sighed as her muscles seemed to relax in relief, knowing that the time for a hot bath and an early bed time were in order. She couldn't wait to wash away the grime and stress of the day, but her mood instantly soured as she walked towards the front door and found a note taped, yet again, to the knob. Sighing in exasperation, she knew exactly what it was without having to read it.

It was another 'message' from Ted Wilkins.

Before anyone had a chance to see it, she stuffed the paper into her pocket, feeling all the joy from the day vanishing instantly as she opened the door. Why couldn't the bastard just leave her alone? Without meaning to, she started muttering to herself, walking right by Inuyasha without so much as a glance.

"Kagome! You're ten minutes late! You said you would be back at..." The hanyou trailed off, following the girl with his finger, which had been poised to attack the moment she walked through the door, listening as she mumbled several incoherent words under her breath.

"Incompetent fool! Who does he think he is? Can't he just leave me alone for one minute? Why is he bothering me this much?"

"Kagome?" She was making no sense, and Inuyasha cocked his head to one side, trying to puzzle through the strange words. What was going on?

She disappeared into her room, and Inuyasha followed after a few minutes of standing in the stairwell like an idiot, his finger still pointing at air. When he walked in, he found her hastily shoving a small book of some kind under her bed before standing and turning to look at him with a fake smile. That set him on edge instantly, knowing she was hiding something.

"Inuyasha!" She exclaimed happily, to which he frowned.

"Kagome, what's going on?" She smiled again in reply, and he cringed at how sugary sweet it was. That was her silent signal that she didn't want to talk about it...whatever 'it' happened to be.

She walked up and hugged him briefly before pulling back, her face still smiling like a plastic Barbie doll. "Nothing's wrong, Inuyasha. So how are you doing?"

He snapped. "What the hell does that mean? How am I? Don't try and wriggle out of answering my question, wench!"

She hardened her eyes slightly. "I told you...nothing is going on. Why are you pushing the subject?"

"Because you're a horrible liar and I can tell that you're hiding something from me!"

"I am not!" Kagome stepped back and looked positively furious as she placed her hands on her hips. God, he loved it when she did that, though for the life of him Inuyasha couldn't understand why, considering the fact that the gesture never boded well for him. He usually ended up either kissing the ground or sleeping far away from her the coming evening.

He remained firm, and crossed his own arms. "Quit lying to me, Kagome! Are you so stupid that you think I don't figure these kinds of things out?"

"Don't call me stupid, baka!"

"I'm a baka?" He smirked. "Try looking in the mirror, wench!"

"SIT!!!"

Inuyasha had come to the conclusion that the carpet, or any form of the ground, for that matter, was not meant for such an impact, because it never seemed nearly so soft and forgiving when he hit it going so fast. He glared up at Kagome. "Stu-stupid woman," he muttered, but Kagome simply rolled her eyes.

"Get over yourself, Inuyasha. Dinner's ready." And with that she walked out the door without so much as a second glance, the last remaining threads of her good mood gone.

* * *

Miroku was pacing again, Sango observed with concern. For nearly four days, the monk had seemed extremely agitated about something, which meant he had taken to pacing back and forth in front of Kaede's hut in the evenings as a result, creating a convenient little path of footprints that the demon exterminator feared would soon become a permanent addition to the environment. And yet she couldn't, for the life of her, understand what was going on. Was it because Inuyasha and Kagome had been gone so long? That made no sense...Miroku had never been one to worry overmuch about anything...at least not in front of people.

"Miroku, are you alright?" She finally asked, deciding she could take no more of his annoying habit, convincing herself she was asking merely because the noise of his footsteps were driving her crazy...not because she actually cared. Unfortunately the monk didn't notice her at first, and collided with her, sending them both to the ground in a heap. But what shocked her then was the fact that he quickly scrambled to his feet...he didn't even try to grope her, even though he would have had the perfect opportunity, considering the position they'd been in. "Miroku?"

"Sango, forgive me. I did not see you." He sounded distracted and looked extremely embarrassed...very unlike the Miroku she knew so well.

"What's wrong?" She asked, willing her voice to sound as gentle as it could as she reached out and touched his shoulder in a friendly gesture.

He met her gaze forcefully. "Sango, I...I have to ask you a question. May I?"

She blinked. He was asking for her permission? "Of...of course," she managed to stammer, unsure of what else to say, and watched as he started pacing again, although at least this time it was in a much smaller circle. In fact, now he was circling her, and it was making her slightly dizzy.

"Ever since Kagome and Inuyasha left, I have been thinking a lot about...about us." He continued to pace, not even stopping to look at her, and Sango dared not even breath, hanging on his every word. He stopped and took her hand, his eyes full of a desperation she was unfamiliar with. "Sango, if anything were to happen to you, I don't know what I would do. I think...I know my whole world would shatter."

"Miroku..."

"I understand what Inuyasha is going through, because I know I would feel the same way were the tables reversed and it was suddenly you in Kagome's position." His voice turned dark. "I would want nothing more than to kill the man who hurt you, and even then I would not be satisfied. I would be in so much pain because I failed to protect you like...like..." He stopped, clearly struggling for the right words. "Like the man who loves you should."

Without meaning to, Sango found herself taking a step back in shock, her eyes going wide. Had he just declared that he loved her? No, that couldn't be, because this was Miroku, the man who flirted with every woman he saw...who never wanted to settle down. And yet...the look in his eyes at that moment was so sincere, so full of faith, trust, and something more, that she couldn't help but believe. "Miroku, I..."

"Sango," he instantly fell to one knee and took her hand in his. She felt tears coming to her eyes. "I know I have not been very good to you sometimes, flirting with other women, being rude and offensive in the way I touch you, but...I swear to you, I will never do that again if...if you agree to marry me." He squeezed her hands tightly. "Will you marry me, Sango?"

There was a long silence, and all Sango could do was manage to weep tears of joy as Miroku waited patiently on bended knee, hope etched into the very core of his being.

* * *

The house was absolutely silent, save for the ticking of a clock out in the hallway, which made sense since every member of the Higurashi household was currently sound asleep...save for Inuyasha, who was sitting beside Kagome's bed stewing over their most recent argument, his arms crossed and his mouth set in a grim line.

She was hiding something from him, he was sure of it, and that fact cut deeper than any cruel insults she could have flung his way. Why? He kept asking himself silently. Did she not trust him? Had he done something wrong? And what was it, his curious nature had to ask, that she was hiding anyway?

He recalled her shoving something under her bed...something that looked like a thick book. Bending down on his hands and knees as softly as he could, the hanyou tried to peer under the bed, his sharp eyes still barely managing to detect the outline of something square...but he was sure that's what he wanted, and so, reaching under the bed and through the dust that had settled beneath the mattress, he felt his hand come into contact with something solid, and drug the object out into the moonlight.

It wasn't a book after all, but rather one of those things Kagome called a photo album, filled with the pictures she took with that strange contraption called a camera. He stared at it for several minutes, and the frown on his face only deepened. This was what she was hiding from him? Why?

Opening the thick cover, he found several pictures in the front of Kagome and her friends...the ones he'd watched from afar, who he had ascertained were called Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi. They were the friends that were always following Kagome around and talking too much, he thought with a grunt, recalling how he was always annoyed whenever they were around.

Her family was in there a lot too, with pictures of her mother, Souta, and her grandfather, sometimes posing at the shrine itself, while in other pictures standing in unfamiliar places. He smiled as he decided that Kagome looked beautiful in all of them, her smiles brighter than anyone else and her eyes dancing.

But then, he agreed with himself, she always looked beautiful to him.

Inuyasha stopped suddenly when he noticed a picture of Kagome with that Hobo guy who had been coming around the shrine so often of late. She was smiling, like always, but what the hanyou didn't like was that the boy had his arm around her shoulders...and in his opinion looking like a complete idiot. His smile was too big, and his eyes looked almost too big for his head. Keh, Inuyasha thought to himself, the guy was a genuine fruitcake. Not even Kouga was that bad.

Turning another page, Inuyasha was startled when several pieces of paper fell out of the album and onto the floor, looking out of place next to all the pictures. Curious, he picked them up and wondered what they were doing in the album in the first place, but as he read what they said, he began to growl loud and low.

There were eight total pieces of paper, each containing a threatening message, and all clearly written by the same person. It was obvious who that person was, and the hanyou didn't at all like the fact that the words were very threatening towards Kagome. No, he didn't like that fact one bit...nor did he like the fact that this is what she had been hiding from him.

"Kagome..." He growled, shaking her sleeping form roughly, not caring that it was nearly two in the morning.

Groaning, she rolled over sleepily and gave him a curious look. "Inuyasha, what is it?"

Perhaps it was the way she said it, sounding so innocent, or perhaps it was the fact that she had been keeping the notes hidden from him, or perhaps it was simply that he was tired of worrying and tired of feeling like her sanity was clinging to him by a fingernail. But whatever the reason, he snapped.

"What do you mean, what is it? How the hell could you ask me that? And how the hell could you hide something like this from me, Kagome?" He held up the letters accusingly. "That bastard's been threatening you, and you didn't tell me! Why? Do you not trust me? Do you not want me around, is that it? Do you _want_ him to hurt you again? Do you?"

Still trying to recover from being so rudely removed from her sleep, Kagome blinked several times stupidly before finally managing to focus on the letters in his hand, and when she did understanding dawned as she opened her eyes wide in shocked surprise before groaning and putting a hand to her forehead as she sat up, her voice sounding worn out. "Inuyasha, look..."

He exploded.

"Don't you dare tell me this isn't a big deal, Kagome Higurashi, because it is! That bastard is following you around and watching you to make damn well sure you don't get him in trouble for what he did! He's covering his ass, and you're allowing him to get away with it! Why? Does he scare you that much? How could you want him to get away with everything he's done?"

That last statement hit a chord and Kagome felt her own balloon of patience burst, all the rage she'd been withholding coming to the forefront of her heart and soul. "Of course I don't want him to get away with what he's done! You think I enjoy finding notes on my doors and bedroom windows? I'm going to turn the bastard in...just not yet!" She snatched the papers out of his hand heatedly. "And I didn't want you finding out about the notes for this very reason! I knew you'd overreact!"

"Overreact?" His face started turning red with fury. "You didn't want me to overreact? Kagome, for god's sake, I just want you to be safe! But you're so stupidly stubborn you won't let me!"

She threw herself away from him, scooting down her bed. "I can take care of myself, Inuyasha!" She all but screamed. "Why else would I be going to the gym all the time and working so hard to do things on my own again?"

The hanyou growled. "But you can't take care of yourself all the time, Kagome, or this never would have happened! Why won't you just let me help you?"

She bristled at the implication that it was her fault she had been raped, even though she knew that's not what he meant, and crossed her arms, her entire body going rigid. "I let you help me all the time, Inuyasha! Frankly, I let you play the protector too much, because now look what's happened to me. The first time you're not around I get hurt...deeply." She sucked in a deep breath and bunched the bed sheets in her hands. "I am sick and tired of always been the helpless one! Of always being the one who has to be rescued and protected! I hate the fact that Kikyou is the strong one, while I'm always stuck on the sidelines playing the nurse to the wounded men and women who return from battle! I'm sick of it, do you hear me? So for once I want to be strong and do this on my own! Why can't you understand that?"

Exhausted from her outburst, and from all the emotions roiling around in side her heart at that moment, Kagome collapsed into uncontrollable sobs, her entire body shaking.

At first Inuyasha could do nothing but stare at the fiery woman before him, used to her temper but all the same shocked by her words. Then, as the shock faded, he felt an instant pang of guilt, unable to resist the feeling that it was partially his fault that she was crying now. Maybe if he'd just been nicer a few minutes ago, but...damn it all, he couldn't help that he worried so much! Why did they always have to fight? After all, he just wanted her to be safe and happy.

With a growl of frustration, Inuyasha reached out and pulled the sobbing woman roughly against his chest, and felt as she clutched at his shirt, her tears running down her cheeks and into the now damp fabric. "Why can't you just stop being an idiot and let me protect you?" He huffed, though his voice had gone gentle as he ran fingers through her hair. "I know you want to be independent Kagome, and I admire you for that, but...aren't you the one who taught me its okay to ask for help from others? That it isn't a sign of weakness?"

Kagome was so stunned by the fact that he was holding her, and by the gentle tone in his voice, that she suddenly could no longer remember why she had been crying...all she could do was feel his beating heart against her cheek. And rather then pain or fear, all she felt as he slowly moved his hands up and down her back was a surprisingly warm sensation, as though...as though this was the most natural, perfect thing in the world.

"Inuyasha..." Her voice cracked as she whispered his name, and his hands stilled. She pulled away from his chest and their eyes met, full of passion, longing, and something that ran much deeper, but that they weren't quite ready to put into words for fear of the unknown. Suddenly Kagome found herself wanting...wanting something she had believed she would never want again after that night she was raped.

"Kagome, I..." But he was unable to finish the sentence, unsure of what he could say, not familiar with the emotions roiling around in his chest. He wanted to push her away, to hold her tightly and never let her go, run away and never look back, and to squeeze her into his very soul so that they would never be apart...yet he didn't know how he could possibly tell her that. So instead, he did the one thing his words could not express, and, slowly, lowered his head until their lips met in a passionate kiss.


	9. Chapter Nine

**New Author's Notes:** In honor of the one year anniversary of the first chapter of 'The Confessions Trilogy' I have decided to perform a massive edit of this story, and will be going over every single chapter. Below you will find all the original author's notes from the story, because I hadn't the heart to part with them, and then beyond that the new and improved story. Maybe this will become a tradition...we'll just have to wait and see!

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_**Though not described in detail, this story does deal with rape so be warned if that sort of topic bothers you**_

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**   
Original Author's Notes:** Yay, I'm so glad you all didn't pass out or anything as a result of the last chapter...because it was just a little on the fluffy side (just a little). But anyway, I hope you like this chapter, and all I can say again is thanks for all the reviews! 

Oh, and one more things. I want to assure all my reviewers that this is NOT a story that is leading to any sort of lemon, lime, or even a little sour tart. Seeing as how I have no personal experience to write from, and I HATE graphic, lemony stories, this won't be one. Sorry if that's a little blunt, but I had to get that out. I do enjoy the occasional tasteful lemon, but unfortunately most of the time authors go a little overboard, so I'm not even going to go there.

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Title: Confessions of a Broken Heart 

Author: dolphingirl0113

Chapter: Eight

Rating: PG-13 (rated for violence, language, and implied sexual situations)

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

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The sun began its daily rise over the curtains, slowly lighting the bedroom, and outside the birds were chirping, announcing the beginning of the day. Lying in a secure ball on the bed, Kagome slowly blinked awake, unfolding her body and stretching like a cat, arching her back...but stopping suddenly when her figure came into contact with something solid behind her. At first her instinct was to scream and scramble up in panic, but then she remembered the events of the previous night, and couldn't help but smile softly to herself. 

Never in a million years had she dreamed it possible that Inuyasha would kiss her like that...somehow she doubted even he had known he could kiss like that, because when he'd finally lifted his head (and that had only been because they both needed air) he'd had such a dazed expression she had burst out laughing. That had caused him to smile too, that beautiful, serene smile of his, and that was how they'd left it, falling asleep soon after, spooned against one another and comforted by each other's presence. Kagome doubted he had ever slept so close to someone in his entire life, save for his mother, perhaps, and she felt her heart swell with joy knowing he trusted her so much as to put his sleeping form in her care.

He was currently lying exactly where he'd fallen asleep, not looking like he'd moved even an inch, with her back spooned carefully against his front, his strong arms wrapped protectively, albeit loosely, around her waist. Kagome blushed as she admitted to herself that she liked the feeling...she had never felt so safe and secure.

Turning slightly she noticed that their hair was mixed together, and noted sleepily that the result was something akin to a unique flavor of ice cream. Giggling at the random thought, Kagome felt her body shake, and the small movement was enough to cause the sleeping hanyou to stir, blushing when he opened his eyes and met her gaze...though to her relief he didn't pull away.

"Good morning," she whispered shyly, unsure of what else she was supposed to say, not exactly having had much experience sleeping with a man who wasn't family sleeping in her bed. Even though it had been a chaste experience, she still felt like something had changed in their relationship, and it wasn't just because of the kiss. It ran deeper then that, she was sure of it.

It was strange that she felt so self-conscious, really, because they'd been through far more embarrassing and personal experiences in the past three years then she cared to count, including the few times Inuyasha had accidentally seen her naked, bare for all the world to see and yet, now, with something so simple, she felt like they'd gone back to being strangers once more...but then, she supposed when it came to this aspect of living, they were. It was a grey area they'd always avoided at all costs...she shook her head to keep from thinking of a certain woman who would ruin the moment entirely.

"Good morning," he finally replied, his voice thick and gruff with sleep, and Kagome decided she liked how it sounded, especially since their bodies were still touching, which meant the vibrations from his chest tickled her own body slightly. She hesitantly traced a finger along his cheek, and happily decided that she could wake up this way every morning.

"Did you sleep well?" She inquired, knowing it was a stupid thing to say the moment the question left her lips.

"Yes," he replied simply, not finding the question at all silly, or at least, not acting like he did. His eyes turned serious. "But I need to ask you something, Kagome...and I need you to listen to me and give me an honest answer, okay?"

That set her on edge, because she had a feeling she knew what was coming next, but Kagome found herself nodding anyway. "Alright...what is it?"

He swallowed. "Why haven't you filed that, um...that report thing? I mean, I know I don't understand much about your time or your customs, but I also know I'm capable of connecting the dots when necessary, and it's obvious to me that if your rapist, this Ted Wilkins, doesn't want you filing something called a police report, then it's obviously what you need to do." His eyes turned innocent. "Even that man on the television said something about it, and you once told me things on the television were important, right?"

Silence passed between them, though Kagome couldn't help but smile at his innocent remarks and the simple way in which he'd summarized his thoughts. Sometimes, she decided, it was a good thing he didn't have a firm understanding of all the things in her time...that meant he had a very basic and honest opinion of what should happen.

Without meaning to, she found herself starting to fiddle with her hair as she replied, choosing her words carefully since she didn't want to end up in another argument. "I've been planning to file the report all along, Inuyasha...honest. You have to believe me. But I...I just needed to get stronger mentally first, you know? Do you understand what I mean?"

The hanyou cocked his head, or at least tried, since his head was still resting against the pillow, and was obviously trying to understand...though she could tell he wasn't getting it the moment he started speaking again. "No, Kagome, I don't understand. If it's something you need to do, then you just need to go do it...why would you wait? Unless," An idea seemed to pop into his head, "Unless the fact is that you have to fight him! Is that it? Because if that's the case, I can do it for you!"

He seemed so excited at the prospect of just wiping away all her problems with one swing of his sword, and Kagome was touched to know her happiness meant that much to him, but she shook her head. "Unfortunately, Inuyasha, this is nothing like that. Well...actually, I guess it sort of is, but it's a very different kind of fight."

He furrowed his brow. "Now I'm really confused."

She sighed and put a hand to his cheek, feeling his warm skin against her palm, and forced him to look directly into her eyes. "I'll try and explain everything as best as I can, okay? But you need to promise to listen, just like I listened to you. Deal?"

He watched her carefully before finally nodding, agreeing to be the listener. "Okay."

She took a deep breath. "When you file a police report, you help the people of my time, called police officers, catch criminals. In this case the criminal is the man who raped me. That's their job as police officers: to catch all sorts of criminals, who are basically men who break the law. Do you understand so far?" He nodded, and she continued. "Okay, so what I'll do eventually is go down to the police station and file a report or, basically, describe everything that happened the night I was raped. Then someone at the police station will take what I say, put it in a file, and use it to try and catch Ted Wilkins...the man who raped me."

"Ted Wilkins..." Inuyasha spat the name as though it were filth in his mouth, and Kagome sighed.

"They aren't sure he's the one yet, Inuyasha."

"But the television said so..."

"Yet there's the problem that I never saw his face...only his eyes. Though," she looked away with a slight shiver, "His eyes do seem very familiar. Still, I can't be sure until I file the report and the police are able to gather more evidence."

"Evidence?"

She waved her hand as though to sweep the comment away. "Never mind that, it's not important right now. What I want to tell you is that the reason I haven't filed a report yet is because I haven't been ready. To file the report means that eventually I will have to face my rapist, whoever he is, either because I'll be needed to identify him, or because I'll see him in court. After all, there will most definitely be a trial, and I will for sure be a witness. I guess I just...wasn't ready for that kind of commitment yet."

He looked at her carefully. "And now you are?"

"I don't know, Inuyasha..." Her voice came out sounding exhausted, and she felt all the strain of the previous few weeks returning in full force, her body feeling fifty pounds heavier.

Inuyasha reached over and took her shoulders and took her shoulders in his hands gently, turning her so that she was lying completely on her side and gazing directly into his face. His amber eyes were intense as he spoke, and the force of his words caused her to feel trapped...in a good way.

"You can't avoid this forever, Kagome," he said simply, his voice firm but gentle. "Eventually you have to face this man, whoever he is, just like eventually we will all have to face Naraku in a final battle. We all know that when that day comes, the battle will be bloody and horrible, but we prepare for it nonetheless, because it has to be done if we have any hope of sending him into hell, where he belongs." His eyes gentled. "The same goes for you. You will never be able to put all of this behind you until you've filed this report and the man who raped you is caught. Do you understand?"

Blinking several times, trying to clear her mind, Kagome wondered if she'd been imagining the kindness in his voice. Inuyasha had never spoken to her like that before. It was like he...like he actually cared. She remembered the kiss, and that combined with the current tender moment caused her to feel warm all over as she nodded. "Yes Inuyasha, I understand."

"Good," the hanyou instantly reverted back to his old self and leapt off the bed with one burst of sudden energy, looking excited. "Then get up. Today you're going to file that police report."

"But..."

"No buts Kagome," he waggled a finger at her sternly. "I'm going with you to make sure you do this." He took her hand and pulled her up and to her feet, using his arms to secure her in a tender embrace. "Please Kagome," he whispered into her hair, "If nothing else, then do this for me. I just want to see you happy again."

Her heart absolutely melted at the honesty behind his words, and Kagome found herself nodding despite her better judgment, burying her head in his chest as he smiled and held her tighter. She couldn't believe he was being so open with his feelings. Had...had last night changed him this much?

Wait.

Last night...

They hadn't even mentioned the kiss since they'd woken up. Why was that? Was he avoiding the topic? She frowned slightly, though he couldn't see it since her cheek was still to his chest. He had seemed happy when he'd woken up...not troubled or upset, like he usually acted when he felt he'd done something wrong. Surely if he wanted to avoid the subject all together he would have acted more uncomfortable, right?

She worried her lip.

Should she ask him about the kiss? Would he even answer her if she did?

Kagome opened her mouth to say something, but hesitated, suddenly unsure about whether or not she wanted to open up that particular can of worms so early in the morning. Unfortunately, that particular can of worms was enough to ruin the pleasure she'd been taking in the tender moment, as well as her overall good mood, as it took the form of a specific person; a woman with a tragic but beautiful face and dark mysterious eyes that cut into your very soul.

Kikyou...

Kagome sighed, feeling suddenly out of place in the arms of the man she loved so much. It was frustrating that he was the only man she'd ever wanted to hold her this way and yet, now that he was, all she could do was think about the other woman in his life. She wanted him to love her and be with her forever.

Damn it all, why did she have to be so considerate? Why did she have to remind herself of the fact that she didn't belong to him, because another woman already did? Why did she have to dredge up the depressing reality that another woman had lay claim to his heart fifty years before they'd met, and five hundred years before she'd even been born? And, she reminded herself, to add insult to injury, they even shared the same soul. It just wasn't fair.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha could smell her sudden discomfort, and pulled away just far enough to see her face and the cloud that had settled in her eyes. "What's wrong?"

She wanted to burst into tears at the honest, open, and caring question, but instead Kagome did her best to smile as she shook her head. She didn't need to bother him with such morbid realities right then, when he finally seemed so happy for once. She was determined to just enjoy the moment, and whatever time she had left with him before he was gone forever...gone to hell with Kikyou...leaving her all alone.

"Nothing," she finally replied cheerily, surprising herself at the fact that she actually sounded very convincing. "It's nothing."

But Inuyasha didn't look like he believed her. He opened his mouth to say something more, but was distracted when the sudden smell of bacon and eggs wafted up the stairs, drawing his attention toward the door, his stomach growling. "Come on, Kagome! Your mom's making breakfast!" And like a little school boy, he pulled her down the stairs by the hand, throwing her into a chair next to him, which scared the wits out of Kagome's poor grandfather, who was sitting and drinking his tea while reading the newspaper.

Thanks to the fact that Inuyasha's actions had caused the old man to jump a mile in the air, the front page looked more like soggy syrup as the brown tea caused the letters to run, and Kagome found herself giggling absentmindedly, though she looked away as though she hadn't seen a thing the moment her grandfather sent her a death glare over the plate of eggs Mrs. Higurashi placed before him.

After breakfast, and a lot of time stalling in the bathroom, Kagome finally emerged for the day, though she was still not happy about the fact that she was being taken, under protest, to the police station. Inuyasha noticed with a frown that she ad reverted back to the sweatpants, sweatshirt, and ponytail attire she's worn the first day after her rape, and raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "You were in there for nearly two hours just to put on that?"

Kagome acted as if nothing was wrong, looking down to inspect herself innocently. "What...I don't look nice?"

"Keh, don't play games with me wench. Why did you take so long? It takes you less time to get dressed for school!" Kagome ignored his insult and walked right by without responding, which only infuriated the hanyou more. He snorted and followed her, not done with his lecture, but deciding to at least wait until her mother and grandfather were absent before he truly gave her a piece of his mind.

Kagome knew what he was planning, but didn't care. In truth, she felt safer in the baggy outfit, so she'd decided, in the end after several changes, that if she was going to have to face the police and deal with her rape, she'd prefer to be comfortable and not have to worry about the fact that she was wearing anything that would attract the wayward eyes of men.

In this way alone Kagome felt that she would never be able to quite revert back to the way she'd once been. She would probably never again be able to convince herself to wear a pair of low-riding jeans, or those super short skirts her mother had always hated because they revealed her underwear if she bent over even the slightest bit. But was that such a bad thing? After all, she could have worse habits she'd want to cling to after such a traumatic experience, right?

Besides, she did feel more confident now, she noticed as she stepped out onto the sidewalk. Her step was much lighter, and her smile was more cheerful and genuine as she waved at random people she passed by. Granted, she was still cautious, and Kagome found herself glancing suspiciously at her surroundings every now and then, making sure Inuyasha was beside her and also checking to see that they weren't being followed.

Unfortunately Inuyasha, with his sharp eyes, noticed this and frowned. "I'm here, you know," He grumbled beside her. "You don't have to keep turning around like you think you're going to be jumped any second."

Kagome blushed and felt guilty as she heard the faint strain of hurt in his voice, knowing he was hoping she'd have more confidence in him then that. So, to reassure him, she took his arm and though he stiffened slightly on instinct at first, though he didn't push her away, and Kagome frowned. "I guess some things haven't changed," she mumbled.

He gave her a puzzled look. "What do you mean? What things?" She just shook her head and sighed, which caused his frown to deepen, and he turned his head so he was looking directly into her eyes. At least...as directly as he could while still walking in a straight line and making sure he didn't run into anything. "What things, Kagome?"

"It's nothing, Inuyasha."

"That's a lie, and you know it."

"Would you just let it go, please?"

"No!" He snapped. "Not until you tell me what you meant!"

She glared at him then. "If you don't know already, then there is no point in me telling you."

Her voice was cold and withdrawn, just like it always was whenever she was jealous because she'd seen him with Kikyou, or whenever he was insensitive about something, or...oh. He frowned, understanding dawning. She was referring to the kiss...though for the life of him he couldn't figure out exactly what aspect of it had her so upset.

Had he done something wrong? Had he been a bad kisser? Heaven forbid that, he thought with a horrified blush. What the hell was wrong? "Kagome, are you upset that I kissed you?"

She blinked at his blunt question, and stopped dead in her tracks, whirling to face him. At that moment she wanted to do two things: whack him over the head and run away crying. In the end, though, she settled for a third choice, and started yelling and gesturing wildly with her hands. "No, you baka! You honestly think I didn't want you to kiss me?"

He blushed. "You actually wanted the kiss, then?"

Normally she would have been embarrassed to admit such a thing, but in this case all she could do was focus on her frustration at his apparent stupidity. Good lord, as if she didn't give the man enough clues about her feelings for him. She stayed by his side even when he promised himself to another woman, she defended him, and she even let him insult her to her face at all hours of the day! What other proof did he need?

"You're hopeless, you know that?" She whirled on her heel and started walking away again, this time leaving him in the dust.

Inuyasha's first reaction was to get angry, but he tried to school himself against it, knowing that if he did it would only result in his face connecting with the cement. So instead he walked slowly behind her for several minutes before speeding up to reach her side, pinching the bridge of his nose and praying silently as he did so: please God let me say the right thing for once.

He grabbed her arm and slowed her down, pulling her off to the side of the street so they weren't quite as obvious while they had their little conversation. "Kagome, look, I'm not very good at this sort of thing...and I never have been good with handling my emotions. Nor have I been exactly what you would call a social creature."

She rolled her eyes, but tried to remain patient. "I know that, Inuyasha..."

He saw that she was still annoyed, and hastily tried to get to the point of what he was trying to say. "But you changed all that," he managed to stammer out quickly, and she froze in the act of starting to walk away again, turning back to look at him with wide eyes. He felt a new found confidence as he took that as a good sign, and even smiled slightly as he noticed the people passing by grinning in their direction, assuming they were just a couple having a 'cute' argument. Keh, as if arguments between he and Kagome could ever be called cute.

"What do you mean, Inuyasha?" Kagome finally asked hesitantly, clearly not wanting to misinterpret his words for something else.

He blushed and gulped, trying to find the courage to say what he wanted to say. "Exactly that, Kagome. You've made me feel like I can trust people again...or maybe even for the first time in my life. I feel comfortable around you, knowing I can just be myself and you're okay with that...knowing that you accept me for who I am, as a hanyou." He said the last word softly so that no one would hear, and felt encouraged when Kagome gave him a soft smile.

"Inuyasha..."

"Look Kagome, I can't promise you that I'll change over night, but..." He took one of her hands. "Please give me time to get used to everything, and understand that there are some habits that are very hard to break. Know that I don't act this way because I don't like you, or because I think you're stupid or ugly or, well, anything else that you as a woman could manage to think of...just know that right now it's still a natural reaction for me to pull away when people start to get too close. Do you understand?"

For a moment Kagome just stared, but then her smile broadened into a pure ray of sunshine, and it was the happiest moment of his life when she spoke. "Yes, Inuyasha; I understand."

At that moment the hanyou felt like he had just jumped a mile-long canyon and swam through an ocean to come out still standing on the other side. It was a wonderful feeling, and as they started walking again he couldn't resist slipping an arm around her waist protectively, his stern expression back in place but his eyes still remaining soft.

And as for Kagome, well, she had never felt happier. The cloud that had descended on her spirit earlier that morning, and then again when he'd stiffened as she'd taken his arm, had vanished, leaving nothing but sunshine and blue skies in its wake.

No, he hadn't exactly just come right out and said that he loved her, or even told her whether or not he'd enjoyed the kiss, but at the same time he'd made the effort to convey some aspect of his feelings and she, knowing how hard that was for him, decided that was enough...for now. Eventually, she knew, she'd need more to go on then just assumptions on her part, but for now it was enough.

* * *

The Tokyo Police headquarters was a two story tall building with a large, domed front entrance built out of solid brick and outlined in white trim. Windows poked out everywhere, revealing, in some cases, men and women pacing back and forth, having conversations, or even typing away at computers. Police cars were parked everywhere, and uniformed officers could be seen walking too and fro in every direction, carrying coffee out to their patrol units or meeting up with their partners and heading through the main doors of the building. It wasn't at all like Kagome had imagined, with prisoners being led everywhere...but then again, she thought with a mental smack to the head, the Tokyo prison was in a different place entirely, as was the courthouse. 

Unfortunately, the picturesque scene outside complete with trimmed grass lawns and trees was misleading, because the instant she and Inuyasha entered the building it was like they were overwhelmed in a massive wave of chaos. Everywhere Kagome looked there were people hurriedly moving through the foyer carrying all kinds of folders, files, briefcases, and coffee cups. Some were dressed in suits, others in police uniforms, and others still in casual attire, either checking their watches, talking on cell phones, or filling out forms.

Thankfully the main desk was rather obvious in the center of the large room, making it obvious to Kagome where she needed to go. As she approached she looked around, noticing the windowed offices in the surrounding area, inside which Kagome could see men and women who must have been detectives or high ranking officers working on cases. Stairs led to a second floor, but what was up there she could only guess as the stairwell turned before going up, and there were no signs.

Deciding the man sitting behind the main desk was her best chance to accomplish anything, she walked up with a very protective Inuyasha at her side, though she subtly removed his arm from her waist as she smiled. "Good morning."

The man gave her a smile. "Good morning, ma'am." His hair was chocolate brown, and cut short in a typical Ken doll look. Unfortunately his hair was so thick that it seemed like too much for his rather lean face, which appeared even smaller behind a pair of large, thick rimmed black glasses, and Kagome couldn't help but giggle, liking him instantly. He looked like 'Where's Waldo'.

"Could you tell me what papers I need to fill out in order to file a police report?" She inquired kindly, hoping he wasn't offended that she had laughed at him.

He didn't seem to notice, instead smiling patiently. "What kind of report exactly do you want to file?"

"There's more then one?"

He nodded indulgently. "Yes, ma'am, many kinds for different kinds of crimes."

"Oh," she looked away for a moment, not exactly wanting to tell every person she met about what had happened to her. She'd thought she could just file the damn thing and be done with it. that just remain confidential?"

The clerk, who she had dubbed Waldo since he had no name tag, smiled again and she relaxed. "Of course, ma'am, but just keep in mind the fact that you will eventually have to tell someone since filing a report means you are willing to subject yourself to questioning by a detective."

Kagome nodded. "I understand."

"Very well; you'll just have to fill out this form here," He reached behind him and pulled out a pink piece of paper from a folder, "Return it to me, and I'll put you on a list to see one of our detectives, alright?"

"Thank you very much," Kagome accepted the paper, along with a clipboard and pencil.

"Not a problem; just give this back to me when you're finished and I'll be sure to put you on the list, although you should know that it could be a while before someone can see you."

Kagome froze. "Exactly how long are we talking about?"

Waldo seemed to pause for a moment and think before replying. "Well, you're about the tenth person here today so far, and since it is a Saturday several of the detectives are off, so I'd say about an hour and a half at most."

Kagome could have choked. An hour and a half! She'd thought she could be done with this in thirty minutes! "Thanks," she managed to mumble, turning around and finding a seat to fill out the form. After all, since she was there, she might as well go through the whole process. It wasn't like she had anything better to do on a Saturday.

With a sigh she crossed her leg and balanced the clipboard on her knee to write, Inuyasha peering over her shoulder as she did so. He raised an eyebrow curiously. "What's an S.S.N.?"

"A social security number."

"Oh," he acted like he knew exactly what that was, and she found it cute. "What's the point in having one of those?"

She shrugged and answered patiently as she continued to write. "Everyone has one. It's a way of identifying people."

"Keh," Inuyasha crossed his arms. "That's what names are for."

Kagome smiled to herself. She was glad he had come.

After nearly an hour of waiting, and then the subsequent three hour interview with a detective whose ego was larger then the country of Japan, Kagome was ready to go home. She was not only exhausted, but the fact that she'd been forced to relive every detail of the night she was raped had been harder then she'd expected. Now she just wanted to get her mind off the subject entirely.

They were walking back to her house, and Inuyasha had once more put his arm around her waist. It was as though, after their little talk, he had decided it was perfectly normal to walk in such an intimate, possessive way...not that Kagome was complaining. But what bothered her was that he hadn't said a word, and she could tell that something was bothering him. She suspected it had something to do with the fact that he'd also been forced to hear all the minute details of that night.

"Inuyasha?" She looked up at him in concern.

"What?" He continued to stare straight ahead.

"Um, are you okay?" She touched his arm gently. "You've been awfully quiet."

He sighed, and for a moment she thought he wouldn't answer, but then he turned to her and she was struck by the pain in his eyes. "I'm sorry you were so alone that night, Kagome."

She blinked in confusion. "What do you mean?"

He looked back towards the sidewalk once more. "I mean there was no one to protect you."

Kagome could hear the underlying regret in his voice and knew that it was more the fact that_ he_ had not been there to protect her that bothered him. She squeezed his arm affectionately and leaned into his body, his arm tightening around her waist in response. "It's okay, Inuyasha...I'm trying to put all that behind me now. Like you said, now we can all move on because hopefully the police can find the man and put him in jail for what he's done."

But..."

Kagome put a finger to his lips. "No buts, Inuyasha. It's over." She surprised herself at the finality in her voice. "The fact that it happened is something that no one, not even you, can change. The only thing any of us can do now is move on, and you're helping me to do just that." She gave him a beaming smile, and as she did so thought about the irony in the fact that she was giving him the comfort when, normally, she would have expected it to be the other way around.

He smiled. "Thanks, Kagome."

"I have an idea!" She suddenly announced, her tone completely changing, and he gave her a curious look. "Lets go back to your era for a while, and put all this aside for the time being, okay? I've done all I can to help catch the rapist, I'm finally caught up in school, and frankly I could really use a change of pace. What do you say?"

Inuyasha brightened instantly at the idea. He'd wanted to return to his time for a while, but hadn't said anything because he knew Kagome hadn't been ready to come back with him, and the thought of leaving her was not an option. "I say okay, lets go!" And without warning he scooped her up into his arms and sped down the sidewalk to the shrine, startling several people on the way...including Kagome.

"Wait! Inuyasha, just hold on a second! I have to tell my mother what I'm doing, and I have to get my backpack ready, and...Inuyasha, would you stop? You can't just..."

But he wasn't listening, and before Kagome could do anything he was in the well house and jumping through time, the usual pink colors surrounding them. The sun suddenly appeared overhead, followed by the smell of fresh air, and Kagome knew they were now officially five hundred years in the past...back in the Feudal Era.

Unfortunately, once the hanyou set her down outside the well, she whirled on him in a rage. "What did you do that for? Now my mother doesn't know where I've gone, and I don't have any of my things!"

Inuyasha tensed and crossed his arms, staring back at her, all the tenderness of their previous moments together forgotten. "You said you wanted to come back, wench! Stop being so indecisive!"

She stomped her foot to accent her point. "Maybe if you had actually stopped to listen for a minute, I wouldn't seem so indecisive! Now I have to go back!"

"No! You can't go back! You said you were staying her for a while!"

"I have to get my stuff!"

"Keh, stop being so selfish and stupid, Kagome! You'll survive without all your things, after all, it's not like you need dozens of outfits!"

"Inuyasha!"

He recognized that tone, and instantly felt his body tense, his eyes going wary as he put up his hands in protest. "Don't even..." But he didn't even get to finish his sentence.

"SIT!!!!"

Kagome was breathing hard from the exertion of the argument, her hands balled into fists at her sides as she ignored the insults and glares she was receiving from the grounded hanyou. All the pleasant feelings were gone, and it was all his fault...insufferable baka!

But as she moved to step around the fallen hanyou and return through the well to get her things, she felt a hand close over her wrist, and whirled around to assume a defensive stance. "What the...?"

She found herself staring at Sango, who was looking frantic. "Kagome, we have to talk!" She groaned...what more could fate possibly have in store for her that day?


	10. Chapter Ten

**New Author's Notes:** In honor of the one year anniversary of the first chapter of 'The Confessions Trilogy' I have decided to perform a massive edit of this story, and will be going over every single chapter. Below you will find all the original author's notes from the story, because I hadn't the heart to part with them, and then beyond that the new and improved story. Maybe this will become a tradition...we'll just have to wait and see!

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_**   
Though not described in detail, this story does deal with rape so be warned if that sort of topic bothers you**_

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**   
Original Author's Notes:** I hope things aren't moving too slowly for all of you, but I feel like a solid bridge needs to be built between the rising action and the climax of the story. Don't worry, more action is coming very soon, so just be patient. Thanks for reviewing, the comments are always appreciated, and know that I read every single one!

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Title: Confessions of a Broken Heart 

Author: dolphingirl0113

Chapter: Nine

Rating: PG-13 (rated for violence, language, and implied sexual situations)

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

* * *

It had been a revolving door, so to speak, as the girls moved in and out of Kaede's hut, having returned for the evening and for dinner, then promptly leaving again the next morning and being notably absent all day. This meant that Inuyasha was left to deal with an insufferable Miroku, a prying Shippou, and an extremely suspicious looking Kaede. The hanyou hated it. 

The old woman had been watching him since he'd returned as though she were trying to figure something out...as though she knew something he didn't, and was now merely trying to confirm her opinion. It put him in a wonderful mood, since she made him feel like a piece of meat she was surveying at market.

Shippou was running around begging people to tell him what was going on in his usual annoying tone, making sure that he accosted Inuyasha at least twice an hour of saying something to make Kagome upset, since he was sure that was the reason the women were gone so much. The hanyou had already given the kitsune three large lumps on the head, and was currently pondering if he'd have to give him a fourth.

And as for Miroku...the insufferable monk could barely contain himself, constantly pacing in one direction or another as he muttered about all the reasons why he shouldn't have asked Sango to marry him, and listing all the reasons she would give when she rejected him...as he was sure she would.

Inuyasha sighed and leaned back against the trunk of the tree he was using for support, raising his eyes to the sky in an act of desperation, wondering why Kagome had left him in such an impossible situation. She was the one who was good at dealing with people...not him...

"I should have waited until we defeated Naraku, shouldn't I?" Miroku had walked over to where Inuyasha was sitting and was muttering yet again, causing the hanyou's eyes to twitch irritably. "Because then the kazaana would be gone, and she could rest secure that her husband would never leave her. After all, why should a woman agree to marry a man who has the threat of death looming over his head and who, at any moment, could suck her into a void of darkness?"

"Will you just shut up, monk!" Inuyasha snapped, seriously losing the few remaining shreds of control he possessed over his temper. In that moment he lost the battle with himself just a little more as he imagined taking the monk by the neck and squeezing the life out of his lungs.

"You agree, don't you?" The man retorted. "You think I should have waited, don't you?"

Inuyasha shot to his feet. "Foo! I really don't care what the hell you do with your life!"

"But it's true!" Miroku wailed pitifully, falling to his knees as the hanyou clasped his hands over his sensitive ears. "I just wanted her to know what was in my heart! I didn't want the end to come, and then have never told her how I truly felt! After what happened to Kagome I was so afraid that Sango could be hurt too or worse...and then would never know!" He put his head in his hands. "Oh, but now I think I might have lost her!"

Inuyasha growled and turned away at the pathetic display. "Will you just shut up?" He started heading back towards the hut, only to come face to face with Kaede herself, who was standing in her usual position with her hands clasped behind her back as she scrutinized his face, her eye narrowing into a thin slit.

"Hmm..." It was the sound of contemplation, and Inuyasha didn't like it one bit.

He snapped at her too, waving his arms wildly in the air. "And what is so fascinating in your dried up mind, old woman!"

Kaede just ignored the insult and shrugged her shoulders. "Nothing," She replied as she walked away.

"Unbelievable..." He muttered over and over again, rolling his eyes and wanting desperately at that moment to smash something. Too bad Kouga wasn't around...

There was a tug on his pants, and the hanyou looked down to find Shippou staring at him with an angry expression, resembling a puff ball with his bushy tail and hair. "Inuyasha, are you sure you didn't say anything to make Kagome upset? Because you do that all the time!"

He sighed and put a hand to his forehead. "Yes, brat, I'm positive! Or have you forgotten that Sango is the one dragging Kagome off? Stop being stupid and use your head for once!"

Shipou pouted. "I'm not stupid, and I'm going to tell Kagome that you called me that," he whined, stomping away.

Gods, Inuyasha thought to himself, they've all gone mad! And where the devil was Kagome? She had been gone too long...he was worried about her.

"Inuyasha, do you think Sango would accept me if I wrote down in words that I would never so much as think of touching another woman again?" Miroku had his hand under his chin thoughtfully. "I'd even sign it. Do you think that would make a difference?"

The hanyou met the monk's genuine expression, obviously expecting an answer and sighed, walking up and whacking his friend hard across the head before leaping into a tree to brood. He'd had enough...and so long as none of his friends had figured out how to climb trees, he would be perfectly happy to stay up there until Kagome got back.

* * *

"Sango, you can't honestly expect me to believe that you will reject Miroku...I mean, you love him! And what's more, he loves you!" Kagome sighed and rocked back on her knees, gazing up into the greenery of the forest and trying to calm her raw nerves. It had bee nearly a day...and her friend was still babbling like an insane little girl who'd just been asked to her first school dance and was now unsure of whether or not boys were cool or if they still had coodies. 

The demon exterminator whirled on her friend and gestured madly with her hands as she spoke. "The man is not dependable, Kagome! He's...he's...he's an unfaithful lecher is what he is! I can't be guaranteed he will keep his hands off of other women when I'm not around, and I'd rather not have to defend other women from my husband!"

Kagome sucked in a deep breath and dug deep down into her well of patience to hold onto her sanity. Gods above, where she and Inuyasha this infuriating to be around at times? "Sango, he loves you," he said gently.

But the woman just stubbornly shook her head from side to side and started pacing again. "Then why does he flirt with other women, eh?"

"That's just who he is, Sango...and if he acted any differently he wouldn't be the man you love. You know that. Besides, I truly believe that he won't continue to act that way once you two get married...in fact, I know he won't! He's a wonderful man; you have to know that deep down."

There was a long pause, in which time Kagome hoped that perhaps she had finally broken through the stubborn barrier her friend had erected around her mind...hoped that perhaps she had finally won the argument and Sango had come to her senses. After all, it seemed like an obvious enough answer to an obvious enough questions as far as Kagome was concerned. If Inuyasha asked her to marry him, she'd say yes and throw herself into his arms before he even had a chance to finish the question!

Not that he'd been asking her any time soon, she reminded herself sadly. So long as Kikyou walked the earth, Kagome knew that her hanyou would feel bound to her, heart and soul, and would never permit himself to marry another.

Still, she thought as she shook her head to rid it of such morbid thoughts, she wanted to see him, and feel the strength of his reassuring presence. What had he been up to all day?

"Sango, look..." She rose to her feet and took the demon exterminator's smooth hands in her own, her dark orbs mixing with warm brown as she spoke. "He's not perfect. I know that, and you know that, but...think of it this way: neither is Inuyasha." She smiled at the thought. "I mean, the guy can be loud, rude, obnoxious, arrogant, and insensitive. But that's all a part of who he is, and I love the man that is Inuyasha. If he wasn't one of those things, then he wouldn't be my hanyou."

The demon exterminator acquired a soft smile despite the fact that she tried to protest. "But Kagome..."

"No buts, Sango," the woman interrupted. "The same goes for Miroku, that's that. If he wasn't a lecher sometimes, then you wouldn't have anything to laugh about later. And if he wasn't so clueless in regards to your feelings, you wouldn't have anything to talk about." They both chuckled, thinking about the fact that the monk was so dense he didn't have a clue how much Sango loved him already, and Kagome wrapped her arms around her friend in a sisterly embrace. "You love the man that is Miroku, Sango...not just parts of him." She squeezed reassuringly. "And that's why I know you will be happy as his wife."

For her part, Sango could only manage to stare, in awe of the words her friend had just uttered. Not only did they make sense, and the demon exterminator could feel her resistance to marrying Miroku melting away like ice under the sun, but more then that, she felt honored that Kagome had confessed such private thoughts to her. She'd known all along that the girl was in love with Inuyasha...that was obvious to anyone with ears and a pair of eyes...but Kagome had never before actually admitted it out loud to anyone, and it caused Sango to feel warm inside. She hoped that her friend could have a happy ending of her own some day soon.

"You're right," she finally conceded aloud with a heavy sigh, and Kagome noticeably relaxed. Sango smiled. "I do love him for who he is, as stupid a man as he can be at times...and if given the choice, I wouldn't want him to change because then he wouldn't be the man I love."

Kagome beamed and stood back, taking her friend by the hand. "Then let's go and tell him that before you change your mind again."

"But...is marriage really what I want right now?"

At that Kagome wanted to smack her friend, and pulled her along forcefully, not giving her the chance to think too far on that question. "Who says you have to get married to the guy right now, anyway?" She chuckled, part of her feeling desperate as she could not stand another conversation like the last one. "Haven't you ever heard of a long engagement period?"

Sango stopped, blinking several times as her mind registered the idea. That particular possibility had never occurred to her before...but now that it had, she realized it was the perfect solution. Of course! Mary him later! They could be engaged until the battle with Naraku was over and done with, and they had sorted through the chaos that would follow, including the problem of getting rid of the Shikon no Tama, Miroku's air void, and, of course, the most painful of all...the reality of what would happen to her beloved brother, Kohaku.

"I suppose that could work," she commented casually, still chewing on the possibility, and Kagome laughed.

"Of course it could work, Sango! People in my era do it all the time!"

Sango nodded again, this time feeling more confident. "All right then, let's go." Her voice was strong, and as she headed off back towards Kaede's hut Kagome thought she resembled a woman on a mission more then a woman about to accept the proposal of the man she loved. Oh well...so long as they weren't having to sit in the woods and spin their wheels, Kagome didn't care.

The sight that greeted them, however, upon reaching the hut was enough to cause all other thoughts to flee. It was an absolutely quiet, peaceful scene, with dusk settling over the sky and only the evening routines of the villagers nearby disturbing the silence. Kagome cocked her head to one side curiously and looked around. "Where is everyone?"

She and Sango turned around...and nearly fell over in shock at what they saw.

Sitting against the trunk of a large tree, looking extremely unhappy, were Miroku, Shippou, and Kaede. The monk was rubbing the back of his neck, which was sporting a rather large bump, Shippou had his legs and arms crossed so that he resembled a very upset little ball of fur, and Kaede, in her silent fury, resembled something akin to a stewing toad where she sat on her knees, her arms folded in front of her. And in front of them all, sporting an unsheathed tetsusaiga, was none other than Inuyasha, a threatening glare on his face.

"Wh..." Kagome sputtered, but soon found her voice. "What in the name of heaven and hell do you think you're doing, Inuyasha?"

The hanyou turned around and was unable to stop the smile of relief from spreading across his face now that he knew she was alright. Unfortunately that quickly faded when he saw the look on his face, and he hastily jumped to defend himself. "Th-they were bothering me, Kagome! All they could do was whine and complain! Miroku was babbling like an idiot because Sango wouldn't give him an answer to his proposal, Shippou was whining like a baby, thinking I'd said something to make you mad, and Kaede, well...she was just bothering me!" He was talking so fast now that even Kagome had a hard time catching all of what he was saying.

What she did hear, however, was enough to make her frown and cross her arms. "So all that means you have the right to hold them prisoner against a tree?" Inwardly, though she would never admit it, Kagome was laughing hysterically at the scene, and had to fight valiantly to keep the giggles from escaping.

Inuyasha acquired a pitiful look. "Kagome, please...you don't understand..."

"Sit!"

The hostages gratefully walked around the hole that was now Inuyasha and smiled at Kagome, Miroku speaking for all of them. "Kagome, you saved us...thank you." His usual coy smirk, however, vanished the instant his eyes locked with the woman behind Kagome, and he was instantly in another world. "Sango..."

The demon exterminator looked away with a deep blush, feeling very self-conscious with everyone, especially Miroku, staring at her. "Houshi-sama," she finally said formally, "I have made my decision." Miroku visibly tensed. "I have decided that I will agree to be your wife."

At first, you could hear the crickets chirping, and Sango stared at Miroku dumbly, waiting for a reaction and wondering, for a horrible moment, if perhaps he'd changed his mind and no longer wanted to marry her. But suddenly the monk's face cracked into a wide, stupid grin, and he began dancing around. "You will?" He grabbed her up in his arms and spun her around twice. "Oh Sango, truly? You will marry me?"

She laughed, feeling lighter than air in his arms. "Yes, Miroku...I will."

Setting her down with all the tenderness of a newborn babe, the monk took a deep breath and gazed down at his new bride-to-be, his eyes tearing up. Never in his entire life had he even dreamed that such a prize was possible. Such a gift...such a woman...and she was all his. Her spirit, her will to live, her strength of heart, and her capacity to love...surely he did not deserve such a wondrous treasure. Yet she was his. She had just said so.

Sango gazed back with equal love and devotion, for once simply letting her emotions run freely over her face, no longer afraid of him seeing what was truly in her heart. She hadn't exactly imagined that she would marry a holy man...or rather, a lecher masquerading as a holy man...but then, many things in her life had not turned out the way she'd expected. And she had never been so happy.

"Well," Kaede finally exclaimed when the silence became somewhat embarrassing, "It would seem that we will be planning a wedding!" Her old eyes beamed and she rubbed her hands together mischievously, clearly already planning out the ceremony in her mind.

That shook Sango out of her stupor, and she turned to look at the old miko shyly. "Um, actually Kaede...I was hoping that the wedding could wait until we are done with this quest." She glanced somewhat nervously at Miroku, afraid of what he would think, and waited for his reply.

"I agree," He replied seriously, without hesitation, and Sango relaxed. "It wouldn't be fair for you, Sango, to marry a man with a curse upon himself and all his future children."

The demon exterminator blushed. "I...guess I didn't really think of it that way. I simply meant that this is no time for a wedding, considering the fact that we don't have a real permanent home or a future beyond destroying Naraku."

Miroku nodded seriously. "You are wise, my beautiful Sango. We shall wait." He moved to kiss her, but she backed away, to his disappointment. They were engaged, for pity's sake! What more did he have to do to get the woman in his arms?

Sango turned to Kagome and took her friend's hands. "Before anything else happens, I...I would like to ask you a question Kagome." The girl blinked and waited expectantly. "Would you stand by my side at the wedding?"

A foolish grin spread across her face, and Kagome squeezed Sango's hands as she danced around, spinning her friend with her. "You mean like your maid of honor? Oh Sango, of course I would! I've always wanted to be a maid of honor at a wedding! This is so exciting!"

Sango didn't know exactly what a maid of honor was, but from the look of pure joy on Kagome's face she assumed it was a good thing...some kind of honor from her era, most likely. The girl's giddiness was contagious, and together the two friends started whirling around, clutching each other's hands and giggling stupidly like excited children on Christmas morning.

Inuyasha just rolled his eyes and groaned at the incredibly immature scene before him, not understanding at all why Kagome would demean herself so by acting in such a foolish manner. Didn't she have any sense of self-respect?

"Actually Inuyasha, Sango's question reminded me of a question I need to ask you since the wedding is now going to take place."

The hanyou turned and faced his friend with a curious expression, though he tried to hide it with a gruff demeanor. "Keh, you're already engaged, remember, monk? I don't think your bride would appreciate you making a second proposal."

Miroku just blinked stupidly, staring at Inuyasha for a split second before recovering. Had he just...tried to make a joke? Without meaning to he started laughing and joined in the jest. "Even if that were an option, my friend, trust me when I say that you would be the last person who I would ask."

"What's that supposed to mean, monk?" The hanyou looked almost insulted.

"Nothing really..." Miroku fingered his staff thoughtfully. "The thought just came to me as I was thinking about it."

"Keh."

"But anyway, Inuyasha I was wondering if you would be the one to stand by my side at the wedding?"

This time it was Inuyasha's turn to gawk like an idiot, his jaw dropping to the ground as though it were weighted with a hundred pounds. Miroku wanted him to be his second? Him? Inuyasha? The hanyou?

For the first time in his life he wanted desperately to throw his arms around the man before him and thank him with everything he had. Never before had Inuyasha expected to even be deemed worthy enough to be invited to a wedding...let alone stand as the groom's second!

Miroku just watched the emotions play over the face of his friend, recognizing both shock and pure, untainted joy. He smiled and chuckled. "Do I have permission to take your silence as a yes, Inuyasha?"

The hanyou quickly recovered and, out of embarrassment, Inuyasha whacked his friend across the back of the head. "I didn't say yes monk!"

"But you didn't say no," the holy man replied with a grin, rubbing the back of his neck thoughtfully. Inuyasha just huffed and looked the other way, but a silent understanding was now between them, and no more words were needed.

"Enjoy that while you can, Inuyasha," Sango joked heartily, a bright smile on her face as she came over and rested her head on Miroku's shoulder after several seconds of shy contemplation. It would take some serious getting used to, but she knew then that she could really start to enjoy this new life of hers as his wife. She winked. "After all, once we're married the only one hitting him will be me. It's a wife's privilege."

Strangely enough, Miroku found the comment the sweetest thing he ever could have heard, and looked down upon his bride-to-be with such tenderness that Sango found herself instantly lost in his dark eyes as he lowered his head gently for their first kiss. She accepted his lips against hers, albeit hesitantly, and even though the contact lasted only a few seconds it was everything she had hoped her first kiss would be: warm, tender, and full of love and promise for the future. With any luck, he would be the only man in her entire life that she would ever kiss that way.

Out of respect, Kagome found herself looking away, towards the village, and Inuyasha followed her example with a groan, leading her away to give the couple a more private moment. "Do they have to do that right here, right now?" He grumbled once they were out of earshot, sounding not only disgusted but also embarrassed.

Kagome just smiled indulgently, her eyes starry with dreams of her own eventual marriage to a handsome hanyou, dressed in a black tuxedo with his silver hair and amber eyes gleaming, framed by a setting sun on the beach. "They just pledged their lives to each other, Inuyasha," she finally whispered, a wistful look on her face. "I think they're entitled to share a first kiss."

Inuyasha didn't miss the look of longing that crossed Kagome's face as she watched the happy couple, and for some reason he suddenly had the strong urge to pull the girl close, tucking her head under his chin so that he could smell her hair as she rested her cheek against his chest. Without meaning to his hands moved to touch her, but he stopped himself before she noticed, suddenly self-conscious about doing such an affectionate thing in front of their friends.

After several minutes, however, he shyly started to move again, and Kagome felt him timidly slide his arm around her waist, pulling her close. It was the kindest gesture he could have done, because Kagome understood how uncomfortable he felt when it came to displaying any kind of emotion or physical intimacy around her, let alone the rest of their friends. It made her feel good, and she thought, in that moment, that perhaps everything between them would work out in the end after all.

Unfortunately, just as she started to lean her head against his shoulder, feeling his body relax against hers, their bodies conforming to each other's shapes, a shadow passed over her face, causing Kagome to look up in order to find the source. At first she figured it had merely been a bird, but then a familiar tingling touched the back of her mind, and she realized it had been anything but a bird.

Confirming her suspicions, another shadow passed over the ground, and this time Kagome saw an eel-like creature moving through, and the hanyou beside her stiffened as he caught a familiar scent. She sighed.

"Kikyou?" There was no love in his voice when he spoke, only a confused question, but Kagome found that to be little comfort as the knife in her heart twisted just a little more. Why couldn't she ever just have him to herself for even a few minutes?

With a sigh, she pulled reluctantly out of his arms. "Go, Inuyasha...you know that's what you want." She was surprised to see that he actually looked hurt, like she had rejected him, but she could also see the curious gleam in his eye which told her he was anxious to find out why his old love had returned once again. After all, it was never an accident when Kikyou came to call.

"Kagome..." Her name came off his lips in a pained whisper, and she looked away, unable to meet his eyes.

"Just go," She felt her voice manage to say, though the sound was strained and tight, and she refused to look up, knowing if she did she would start crying. Damn it all, why did she have to turn into a leaky faucet every time Kikyou was around?

There was a long silence, and she heard Inuyasha take a step in her direction, but then stopped, seeming to decide something. "I'll be right back," he said, and she nodded, knowing something between them had shifted, because he had never bothered to assure her before that he would come back before running off to be with the dead miko. Again, though, it was a small comfort amongst a twisted maze of pain and melancholy.

The sound of rustling clothes reached her ears, and Kagome looked up in time to see his vanishing figure as he ran into the forest, following the soul stealers who were leading him to his former love, and she could no longer stop the tears from coming to her eyes. No matter how many times she assured herself that she loved him, and that she wanted to be with him, this part of their relationship never got any easier.

A hand on her shoulder caused Kagome to turn and find herself face to face with Kaede, who was giving her a kind look. "You have nothing to fear from my sister, child. She and I both recognize that her place in his heart has changed forever."

"Kaede?" Kagome couldn't help sniffling as she spoke, her voice weak, not daring to hope.

The old woman turned her gaze in the direction where Inuyasha had disappeared, and sighed. "I've known it would happen all along, ever since I met you, Kagome. I knew it was only a matter of time, and strangely enough, I think my sister knew that too, which is why she felt so threatened by you for so long. It wasn't because you had her soul that bothered her, but because she knew you were better for Inuyasha then she ever could have been." The miko turned to look at Kagome once more, a smile in her eyes. "He is happier with you than he ever could have been with her, child, and that's because, unlike you, she tried to change him."

"And yet he was willing to turn himself into a human for her," Kagome sighed, unable to keep the bitterness from creeping into her voice. She may forgive him for what he did, but she was still only human after all.

Kaede just shook her head. "Back then Inuyasha was so desperate for love and kindness that he believed what my sister offered him was true acceptance. He thought that the only way anyone could love him was to change. But you changed all that. You've shown him that he doesn't have to change at all, and you've also allowed him to accept the fact that he would be unhappy if he were ever to truly change who he is. You've helped him accept who he is...and that's why he loves you."

The word love caused Kagome's body to involuntarily jerk, and she hugged herself tightly to keep the pain from seeping into the very marrow of her bones. "He doesn't love me, Kaede. At least...not in the way I wish he did. He still loves Kikyou, or else he would not run to her all the time."

"If I may point out something to you, child, you were the one who pulled away from him in this instance and insisted that he go. Having watched his reaction when you did so, I sense that he would have stayed by your side had you not told him to leave."

Kagome laughed bitterly at that. "For once I think you're wrong, Kaede. He was so desperate to find out why she was here he could hardly contain himself. His body was tense and his eyes were constantly looking in the direction of her scent."

Kaede shrugged. "That may be true, but I think you're focusing on the wrong thing, Kagome."

"So what should I have seen then?" She rolled her eyes to accent the immature statement.

The old woman looked at her kindly, seemingly unaffected by the younger girl's sudden disrespect. "The fact that, for the first time, he was willing to bury his curiosity and need to see my sister in order to make you happy."

Kagome froze in the act of making a smart reply, suddenly feeling herself deflate, and Kaede nodded knowingly as she turned to walk away, her voice, as she spoke, kind and wise. "Don't be so quick to judge, Kagome, simply because of what's happened in the past. The fact is that something has changed between you two...and I suspect this change occurred while you two were away in your time. Whatever this change was, it's caused a shift in both your hearts, I can feel it, and the change has affected him even more so than it has you." She smiled. "You mean more to him than you could possibly know."

Without meaning to, Kagome felt her eyes drift back in the direction of the forest, almost able to see his retreating figure, his silver hair flying about in the wind, Kaede's words rolling around in her mind. Could it possibly be true? Could she dare to hope that he loved her, and as a result risk breaking her heart even more then it already was?

It was true that he had seemed much more open about his feelings since the kiss. He'd been more willing to touch her, to hold her close, to hold her hand in public. But...the one thing that bothered her was that he hadn't mentioned the kiss once, except for the moment when they'd had their argument, and, an even more troubling reality, he hadn't moved to kiss her again. Why was that?

He had told her he liked her...a lot...but that could easily be meant in a 'just friends' sort of way, couldn't it? She'd certainly let enough guys down in her life that way to understand the expression. Still, Inuyasha didn't strike her as the type to even understand that kind of foreplay so maybe it did mean more then just friends.

Still, she couldn't get around the fact that he had yet to utter the three words she wanted to hear more than anything else in the world.

"Oh Inuyasha..." Even though she'd managed to stop crying, she couldn't prevent one final solitary tear from falling down over her cheek, leaving a wet trail in its wake. God, when had she fallen so hard and so heavy for this man, this hanyou? She couldn't bear the thought of losing him now.


	11. Chapter Eleven

**New Author's Notes:** In honor of the one year anniversary of the first chapter of 'The Confessions Trilogy' I have decided to perform a massive edit of this story, and will be going over every single chapter. Below you will find all the original author's notes from the story, because I hadn't the heart to part with them, and then beyond that the new and improved story. Maybe this will become a tradition...we'll just have to wait and see!

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_**   
Though not described in detail, this story does deal with rape so be warned if that sort of topic bothers you**_

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Original Author's Notes:** I did it! I figured out how to give you all an update! Aren't you proud of me? Actually, it wasn't too hard to figure out really, once I got the hang of this whole disk thing...but anyway, I'm so excited to get out the next chapter! Thank you all for being so patient! 

This chapter is kind of sappy, but hey, I guess I was in a romantic mood today so just bug off if you don't like it. It's my story, and I'll write fluff if I want to! So there! Anyway, now that I'm done being immature...

Thanks again for all the reviews, you are all absolutely just making my day. I'll try to keep the updates coming, though writers block is an ever-present enemy...as is the temptation of the ocean...lol. Mahalo!

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Title: Confessions of a Broken Heart 

Author: dolphingirl0113

Chapter: Ten

Rating: PG-13 (rated for violence, language, and implied sexual situations)

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

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Whenever Miroku said that a man with more than one woman in his life was lucky, Inuyasha wanted to smack him and groan. He was reminded now more then ever of why he wished he could just avoid relationships altogether, especially with women, because as he walked through the forest following Kikyou's scent he felt more confused then ever, although this time it wasn't just because of the dead miko and his own emotions. Now he was also wondering why in the world Kagome had pushed him away, telling him to leave...she always seemed so sad when he left before, so why now? 

"Keh, Kagome you're insufferable..." He grunted as he pushed aside a wayward branch with a frown. He would have stayed with her this time...he had surprised himself by actually wanting to stay at her side, holding her in his arms. But she had told him to go. Did that mean she wanted him to be with Kikyou? God, the girl was vexing.

His thoughts fled to the back of his mind the moment the Goshinboku came into view, because Kikyou was there too, and the hanyou felt his usual momentary flutter of his heart as he gazed upon her tragically beautiful face. Her hair was pulled back this time, and her expression was serious as she gazed directly into his eyes.

"What is she to you, Inuyasha?"

He stopped short, not sure what to say. He hadn't been expecting that. "What?"

She regarded him seriously. "My reincarnation Inuyasha...what does she mean to you?" He remained silent, and Kikyou narrowed her gaze. "Tell me now."

The forwardness of the question was so unlike Kikyou that Inuyasha found himself reeling, trying to find the right words to say something coherent. And since when had she ever displayed any sort of insecurity about her own place in his heart? Dislike? Yes, she'd certainly shown plenty of that throughout the years, and there had definitely been some ruffled feathers on both sides, but...never insecurity on the part of the dead miko. "Why are you asking me this, Kikyou?"

She looked away. "I may be dead Inuyasha, but I'm not blind. I can sense the absence of your aura whenever you leave this world and return to her time." She sighed. "And this time, when the two of you came back, I could sense a definite change." Kikyou looked like she was fighting the urge to raise her head and look at him. "Something happened between you two on the other side of the well, in that world where I cannot go...so now I'm asking you: what does Kagome mean to you?"

Inuyasha couldn't believe she was asking him this, and, surprisingly, he suddenly felt very angry. "After all this time...after everything you've done...now you want me to assure you that I love you?" Kikyou looked up and didn't even blink at his harsh tone, which only made him more upset. "All you've done since you were resurrected is push me away, even admitting several times that the only reason you still live is because you are able to hold on to your hate for me, and no matter how many times I tried to tell you that I still cared, and that I wanted you in my life, you wouldn't hear it. You always pushed me away." He swallowed the bitterness in the back of his throat. "But now, when you think that Kagome might take your place, you suddenly care?"

His words were cruel, he knew it, and so he wasn't surprised when the miko looked away, as though stung. But even then her face remained expressionless, and he sighed. Why couldn't she be like Kagome just this once, and show a little emotion...a small sparkle of life? Granted, she had never exactly been a fountain of laughter, being stoic and serious even in life, but at least then she'd smiled occasionally and the gesture had some warmth behind it. Now she was just a woman of ice.

"I've always cared, Inuyasha," She whispered softly, but he chose to ignore the strain of hurt in her words, holding on to his anger instead.

"Well you've done one hell of a job of showing it, Kikyou," he exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. Why was he acting like this? He never treated her with such callousness. And yet, he couldn't help suddenly feeling that her presence was like a vice, whereas before it had been a desired gift. "Look," He sounded suddenly tired, "I've already promised to go to hell with you when this is all over. What more do you want?" He lowered his gaze and sighed. "You'll have me in the end, if that's what you're worried about."

There was a long pause, in which time Kikyou turned and met his gaze, startling him with the pain in her eyes. She shook her head, and he thought he even caught the light scent of salt on the air. "Oh Inuyasha...I don't have you, and that's my point. You haven't belonged to me for a long time." A tear rolled down her cheek. "Why can't you just tell me what she means to you?"

_What do I mean to you? _Inuyasha could hear the underlying question in her words, and he sighed. Why couldn't she just ask him that? Why did she instead have to delve into something as complicated as his feelings towards Kagome? He didn't know how he felt. He knew that was a copout...so what did he know?

He knew that he enjoyed being around her, that knowing she was safe kept him sane, and that making her happy meant the world to him. He knew that, for some reason, he was stronger in battle when it meant protecting her then he ever was when she was gone. He could still remember the time when tetsusaiga had been repaired with his own fang, and as a result been too heavy. He hadn't been able to lift it over his head without using every ounce of his strength, and yet, at a moment when Kagome had been in danger, he'd managed to lift it easily with one hand and swipe away the enemy, saving her life. She always helped him do that...she made him believe he could do anything.

Inuyasha could still remember, vividly, the pain that had ripped through his chest the day he'd found out she'd been raped, and the guilt that had followed him everywhere since that moment because he hadn't been there to save her, like he should have been. It killed him inside whenever he saw the doll eyes that hid the Kagome he knew so well. He wanted her back.

But what did all that mean?

"Kagome is..." Inuyasha started to speak, but then closed his mouth, and it was as though the gates of enlightenment had opened, and everything made sense.

As Kikyou watched, warmth spread through his chest and he sighed, recalling their first kiss and the way his heart had raced, his spine tingling at her touch. He remembered the feeling of her tears as they had wet his own cheeks, the rush of pure joy as she had fisted her hands into his shirt and pulled him closer rather then reject him, and the way she had sighed against his lips...that little sigh that belonged only to her.

He closed his eyes, and Kagome's face was suddenly all around him, laughing, smiling, frowning, and even crying. He could see her putting her hands on her hips in that cute gesture that usually foreshadowed his fate to rush headfirst into the ground, wagging her finger at him in disapproval. He could recall all the times she'd been worried about him, and rushed up to throw her arms around his neck to assure herself that he was real, breathing his name into his ear and causing him to shiver. And the time when she had held him on her lap, stroking his hair as she cried for him...the first time anyone had ever cried for him. She had smelled so nice...

Kagome.

His Kagome.

And, at long last, Inuyasha understood.

"I love her..." He whispered, sounding shocked at himself, as though the truth of it was unexpected. But then, as he looked up to see a startled Kikyou, he laughed. It was a laugh full of joy, a laugh that reverberated throughout the forest, and he threw his hands back and yelled for the entire world to hear, "I love Kagome!"

Kikyou watched him, watched as he danced around and laughed in a way she'd never heard before, and the final threads of hope that had been within her heart were cut, leaving behind nothing more than a hollow, worthless muscle made of earth and clay. Her final tie to this world had been destroyed, and she was surprised at how much that reality hurt.

Slowly, with great effort, she drew in a haggard breath and sighed, fighting desperately to keep her face passive. She'd be damned if she showed any man that they had hurt her. "That is all I wanted to know," she whispered, and turned to walk away.

Inuyasha was instantly brought crashing back to earth, feeling horrifically guilty for having been so insensitive. She hadn't deserved that. "Kikyou...I'm sorry," He called out, but she put up her hand for silence, disappearing into the darkness of the forest, her soul stealers following behind.

And for the first time in his life, Inuyasha made no move to follow.

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Naraku watched, curious, as the woman he despised and craved so much walked through the forest, surrounded by her guardians. Those damnable eels always made him feel edgy, and the demon couldn't resist shuddering slightly as the eerie light they projected illuminated the dark woods. Perhaps it was because they only added to the mysterious and forbidden aura that was Kikyou, the only woman who could bring about his destruction, but also the only woman Onigumo had ever loved. Either way, he didn't like it. 

But today the miko didn't appear formidable or alert, her face instead a mask of loneliness and despair. She was not as alert as usual, he could tell, and while he didn't know the source her apparent distraction, he could wager a pretty reliable guess as he smirked. "Inuyasha, what have you done this time?"

The hanyou had proven to be more of a reliable weapon than anything else Naraku possessed, and that was why he had allowed the foolish boy to live for so long. Both women, Kagome and Kikyou, were extremely dangerous to his plans, and not easily fooled or caught off guard, except in one regard. They both had a weakness where Inuyasha was concerned, and, predictably, every time Naraku threw the hanyou's feelings into the mix of any trap, all their defenses and well-laid plans went to hell and their minds became like putty in his hands; easily molded to what he wanted.

"Just like now," He whispered to himself, recalling the plan he had so carefully constructed with Kanna, who was waiting just out of sight in the shrubbery below the tree where he was currently sitting. Of course, he hadn't planned on having Kikyou in such a state, but that only added to his growing stack of advantages, and he'd never been one to waste an opportunity.

But he would still have to proceed with caution, because even with Kikyou out of sorts, she was not a woman to be taken lightly. Of course, neither was Kagome, though her current state had weakened her both mentally and physically too.

Naraku had to admit, he had been nothing short of shocked when he had learned about what had happened to Kagome. He knew that when she was gone, and he could no longer sense her aura, she was in a world far away from anything that he could touch, and he also knew that the Bone Eater's Well had something to do with it, but Inuyasha was usually gone with her, so why hadn't the hanyou protected her, like he usually did? Normally Inuyasha followed the girl so closely it was annoying.

Surprisingly enough, Naraku had felt no joy at the expense of Kagome's pain, which was strange, even to him. Normally anyone's misfortune was pleasing because it could benefit his plans, but this time there had been, frustratingly, none of that.

For whatever reason, he couldn't help but feel a certain amount of...was it respect...when it came to the girl who was Kagome Higurashi, Kikyou's reincarnation. Even though she was his enemy, Naraku found that he appreciated, and even admired to a certain extent, her strength of spirit, and her spunk. She never gave up easily, and he liked that in an opponent. So often any more people just rolled over backwards for him, not even giving him the pleasure of a fight. But with Kagome...a smile broke out across his lips at the thought.

It is curious that while my human heart is drawn to Kikyou, the spirit of Naraku is pulled to her reincarnation, he thought to himself, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

A snapping twig broke his concentration, pulling him out of his reverie, and Naraku looked down to see Kikyou fumbling for balance after having stumbled slightly over the roots of a tree. She really was out of sorts, he realized as he jumped down to claim the bait for his trap, if she was so easily set off balance.

For her part, Kikyou sensed nothing besides the immense sadness currently taking root within her breast. The truth that she had lost him for good was almost too much to bear. And what was more, she could no longer, in good conscience, ask him to come with her to hell when this was all over...not now that she knew where his heart would always remain. Not even she could be satisfied with having Inuyasha for an eternity if the whole time his soul would wander to another.

She had known, of course, for some time that the hanyou was developing feelings for her reincarnation, but had pushed the thoughts away in denial, putting up blinders to her otherwise incredibly accurate woman's intuition. But now there was no erasing what he had said, no more possibility of denying the truth now that he had put it so obviously and indisputably before her. He had sealed her fate with a declaration of love, and now she wanted to just find a hole, curl up, and give her soul back to the afterlife.

A tear ran down her cheek, and Kikyou brushed it away in surprised frustration, wishing she could rip all her emotions out of her body, along with her heart. Living would be so much easier that way...if one could call her existence living. And why did this bother her so much, anyway? Hadn't she been the one, all along, to declare that she hated Inuyasha with all her heart and soul no matter how much people tried to change her mind? It was true, in the beginning she had hated him as much as she had hated Naraku, but...over time, the old feelings, the love, had returned, and her inner self felt more like a raging hurricane then the calm sea it had once been. She longed for those smooth waters as much as she longed for death...or life...she just wasn't sure any more.

As caught up in her thoughts as she was, Kikyou didn't even sense the danger until it was too late and Naraku was upon her. Strong hands went around her neck, lifting her off the ground in such a way that said they could kill her in an instant if they so chose.

"Naraku," she managed to gasp, the air struggling to reach her lungs through the blocked air passage of her throat, and could feel him smile that evil smile of his behind her. She shuddered, berating herself for being so stupid and unaware. Now she was his, to use as he desired...she couldn't forgive herself for that.

"Kikyou," he cooed, "You must do something for me." He moved closer to whisper in her ear, and she frowned.

"You are asking a favor of me?" She tried to chuckle in the old way, but found it difficult with his hands around her neck. "I doubt that, Naraku. What are you really after?"

He was the one to chuckle at that. "I think, being the prisoner, you don't have any room to ask questions." He paused and squeezed her neck a little more, enforcing his point, and Kikyou swallowed painfully, coming to realize the gravity of her situation. "I need you to scream for me, Kikyou."

That was not the request she had been expecting, and it took her a moment to gather her wits, but her sharp mind quickly realized what he was planning, and she sighed. "Inuyasha will not come, Naraku," She whispered sadly, recalling, yet again, his painful declaration.

Naraku simply laughed. "So he did do something, otherwise you would not doubt his loyalty to you." He moved closer and whispered in her ear, and she had to fight with all her might to resist the urge to shiver. She would not give him that satisfaction. "Never fear, my dear Kikyou...Inuyasha will come for you. And with him will be Kagome."

"Leave her out of this," Kikyou hissed, surprising herself at the vehemence in her voice. Since when had she cared so much about the wellbeing of the girl? She assured herself that it was merely because she thought Kagome would be a hindrance to their plans in her current condition...though she suspected her heart had other reasons.

Naraku squeezed her throat again meaningfully, and she knew it was meant to be a threat. In response she gave him her best glare, though he couldn't see her face since he was behind her, and tried to ignore the fact that precious little air was currently reaching her lungs. "If you think that is enough to make me scream, Naraku, then you are mistaken." She raised her eyebrows haughtily. "I have endured pain far greater then you could ever imagine...this pales in comparison."

He chuckled. "I think you underestimate what I can do to you, Kikyou."

"No," she smiled sadly. "The reality is that, after living through death and a painful rebirth into this world of the living, nothing makes me afraid any more."

"Perhaps," he squeezed her neck again. "But all the same, you are still a mere woman...and you will scream for me."

"I think not," She retorted, only to feel her air supply completely cut off, followed by a searing pain in her side from some unknown force. Her lungs started to burn, and she could feel her own blood seeping through her clothes, making her feel heavy. She couldn't help it; her instincts to survive kicked in, and she screamed as loud as she could just before darkness pulled her down.

* * *

Kagome was sitting by the stream, her knees pulled up to her chest, rocking back and forth, apparently deep in thought, when Inuyasha stumbled upon her. At first she did nothing to respond, even though he made enough noise to wake a sleeping elephant, and it was only after he coughed several times to get her attention that she relented and turned around slowly. 

She found him giving her an incredibly stupid smile, his eyes alight with a fire she'd never seen before, and while it made him look more handsome and alluring then ever in her eyes, she couldn't shake the reality that his expression could be a bad thing for her just as much as something good. The thought caused her to groan inwardly, and she turned back around to watch the water again, not really wanting to find out what had transpired between the hanyou and his tragic lover.

"Kagome..." He started towards her, but stopped, looking away with a blush. He wanted to tell her right then and there what was going through his mind. He wanted to declare it to the world! But at the same time, he wasn't sure he knew how, and the fact that she was giving him the cold shoulder wasn't helping any either.

For her part, Kagome just watched as the clear, icy blue water flowed over the smooth pebbles of the stream, creating a soothing sound as it smacked against the banks on either side. She wouldn't mind taking a swim; she thought absentmindedly...after all, it had been a while since her last bath.

She could sense Inuyasha's tense form behind her, and had the feeling he wanted to tell her something. "What is it, Inuyasha?"

Her voice wasn't exactly unkind, but it wasn't friendly either. It caused him to falter. "Kagome, I..."

Suddenly she had a horrible inclining that he was about to tell her that he was leaving with Kikyou, and that he wasn't coming back. That would certainly explain the joyous expression that had been on his face. So...he had finally chosen who he loved, and now she would lose him forever. She couldn't hear it. Selfish as it was, she didn't want to hear it.

"Kagome..."

Whatever he was trying to say, he was having a hell of a time spitting it out, and that fact only made Kagome feel worse. "It's okay, Inuyasha...you don't have to tell me what happened."

Her voice was dead, her face full of pain, and Inuyasha suddenly realized with horror that she was mistaking his hesitance for something else. "No, Kagome...you don't understand..."

She sighed. "But I do, Inuyasha, and frankly I don't think I can stomach hearing you tell me about your encounter with Kikyou, okay?" She willed herself to calm down and hugged her knees tighter, trying to make her voice sound kinder. "I'm sorry...I know that as your friend I'm supposed to listen, but...I just can't right now."

She was rambling, and it was really frustrating. "Kagome, would you just listen to me for a minute?

That set her off, and she whirled around, shooting to her feet. "No Inuyasha, for once I want you to listen!" Tears came to her eyes. "I'm tired of my heart breaking every time you run off to find Kikyou, always coming back looking like you've seen an angel or something!" Her voice cracked painfully. "I just can't take it any more!"

It killed him that she felt that way, and that he was the reason, but more then that, he felt himself growing upset that she was ruining his good mood. As a result, his temper snapped. "Wench, if you'll just shut up for a minute, I have something to tell you!" Damn it all, this was not going at all the way he'd planned...

Kagome stomped her foot to accent her frustration, her face full of pain and her eyes determined. "I already said I don't want to hear it! Get that through your thick skull! I don't want to hear it!" Why she was being so cruel, she didn't know. Perhaps she was just angry with herself for letting him go see Kikyou, perhaps she was angry with the dead miko, perhaps she hated the fact that Inuyasha had done as she asked and gone to see Kikyou, or perhaps, the most likely of all, she was just mad.

Unfortunately for her, now Inuyasha was too, his good mood completely ruined, and he wasn't backing down, having learned over the course of their nearly three year adventure that he had a temper that matched hers. "Kagome," he warned, "I'm going to say what I need to tell you, whether you want to hear it or not!" Though he hoped, silently, that she did want to hear it. "So stop making assumptions, you stupid wench! You don't even know what I'm going to say!"

Fresh tears came to her eyes. "I'm not stupid, Inuyasha! And stop calling me a wench!"

He winced at that. He hadn't meant to sound quite so harsh...so cruel...but damn it all, the girl was being ridiculously unreasonable. Where had this sudden stubborn streak suddenly come from?

Finally, with a sigh, he figured he'd better just say it since, in her apparent condition, Kagome wasn't going to be calming down any time soon. "Kagome, I wanted to make this more poetic, but..."

"I said I don't want to hear it!" She clasped her hands over her ears, though it was a futile action since she could still hear every word.

He trudged ahead despite the fact that she'd interrupted him. "Because you're being so stupid about everything I guess I'll just have to say it!"

She looked up with fear in her eyes, putting her hands out as though to stop him from tumbling forward. "Don't, Inuyasha, please," she begged. "I don't want to hear you tell me that you're leaving! Please don't do that to me!"

That cut him to the quick, and he finally understood what had her so upset. She figured that because he'd looked so happy, he'd decided to leave with Kikyou now. Fool, how could she think he cared so little about her? "Kagome..."

"No Inuyasha!"

He took a deep breath, gathered his courage, and blurted out, "I love you, you stupid woman!"

"SIT!!!!" She screamed at the same time he made his declaration, and so, instead of him holding her and laughing, Inuyasha found himself spitting out a mouthful of dirt since he'd been speaking when he'd hit the ground. He just sat there, glaring up at the woman...keh, the woman he loved.

At first Kagome kept crying, but then, as though someone had turned off the faucet, she stopped and froze, her eyes widening in shock as Inuyasha's words penetrated her thick skull. For the first time in her life she didn't have the faintest idea what to say or think.

Had...had he just said that he loved her?

"Inuyasha...?" No, she decided, it couldn't be true. The idea that he had finally, at long last, said the one thing she had ever wanted to hear, and to her, was not possible. He loved Kikyou, had always loved Kikyou, and she, Kagome, had always fallen short. "But...I thought..."

"Keh," Inuyasha grumbled and rose to his feet. "You thought wrong, you stupid woman," He tried to brush off as much dirt from his kimono as possible, attempting to regain some semblance of dignity. This was supposed to be the happiest moment of his life...so why did he want to strangle her?

But the look on Kagome's face was priceless, and the moment he saw it, Inuyasha knew he would have gladly kissed the ground again if it meant that expression would be forever more imprinted into his memory. She looked like the child who had wanted a pony all her life, but never expected to get one, and now, come Christmas morning, there was the pony, and she couldn't believe it was there. He could visually see the denial swimming across her face, along with the shock and disbelief, and he felt proud of himself for having so unsettled her nerves.

"I love you, Kagome Higurashi," He said again, this time more softly, as though in reverence.

That did it, because suddenly a smile lit up her face so that she seemed to him like a living ray of sunshine. He basked in the warmth, and then she threw herself into his embrace, new tears in her eyes, but this time out of pure, unadulterated joy. And when he caught her against him, pulling her close to his chest, Inuyasha felt no guilt or embarrassment.

Her scent surrounded him as his chin found its favorite spot above her head, and he felt like he was floating on air...amongst the clouds themselves.

This is what he had always wanted, he realized. This is what he had searched for his entire life. Through all the loneliness and the despair, this is what had kept him going, this woman, right here, right now, nestled in his arms, clinging to him as though he were a solid rock in a wild sea. She was all he needed; not revenge for Kikyou and himself, not the Shikon no Tama so that he could wish to be a full fledged demon. Just Kagome...his Kagome.

He never wanted to let her go.

"Inuyasha," she breathed, pulling back and turning her face up so that she could gaze directly into his eyes, her cheeks flushed and her lips looking extremely kissable.

He smiled. "Kagome, I love you." He would never get tired of saying that, and was surprised at the sudden ease the words had in flowing off his tongue. It had been so hard to admit it to himself, let alone anyone else, and yet now those three words flowed out of his mouth as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

Kagome beamed at him. "I love you too, Inuyasha..." She sighed. "More then you'll ever know."

He didn't think his heart could take any more without bursting, but his chest swelled in pride and joy nonetheless as he lowered his head slowly, almost hesitantly, to capture her lips. For a moment he was surprised when she greedily wrapped her arms around his neck, but could only smile as he picked her up bridal style and held her close, thinking that surely he had at last found his heaven on earth.

But the moment was ruined when a piercing scream tore through the very foundations of the otherwise silent forest, and the couple jerked apart as they both recognized the sound. Kagome lowered her eyes, and Inuyasha looked in the direction of the scream with a worried expression.

"Kikyou."


	12. Chapter Twelve

**New Author's Notes:** In honor of the one year anniversary of the first chapter of 'The Confessions Trilogy' I have decided to perform a massive edit of this story, and will be going over every single chapter. Below you will find all the original author's notes from the story, because I hadn't the heart to part with them, and then beyond that the new and improved story. Maybe this will become a tradition...we'll just have to wait and see!

* * *

_**   
Though not described in detail, this story does deal with rape so be warned if that sort of topic bothers you**_

* * *

**   
Original Author's Notes:** Sorry it took so long for an update, everyone, but I've been really busy. So far I've been deep sea fishing, surfing, and scuba diving (yes, I'm certified). But at last, after doing some make up homework from missing school, I had a chance to sit down and write another chapter. 

The action everyone has been waiting for is finally beginning, and I hope I don't disappoint you al too much, though I have to admit that action is not my strongest suit. In response to some of your comments, yes the appearances of Naraku and Kikyou are a little random, but I feel that in the series their appearances are random too. Seriously, Kikyou never shows up for any good reason other than she just happens to be there to screw up whatever tender moment is occurring between Inuyasha and Kagome, and Naraku, well...he's just off in left field anyway.

As far as Sango and Miroku and their engagement, I know that was a little sudden too, but in the manga he does ask her to be his wife, and she agrees, so I'm not too far track (I hope that didn't spoil anything major for anyone). And as for Inuyasha and his sudden declaration of love, I'm all for the direct approach. Frankly, I'm sick and tired of the way he beats around the bush in the series, both anime and manga, because by now I would have confessed how I was feeling. He knows he loves Kagome, he just feels obligated towards Kikyou, and as such denies his heart what it really wants (at least, that's how I interpret things). But in my story he doesn't do that, because he has finally realized what life would be like if Kagome were not in it, so we're going to do things my way this time. And in all honesty, if I were finally to make the realization that I was in love, I would be damn excited and want to shout it to the world, wouldn't you?

I'll stop talking now. Thanks for all the reviews, everyone, I love it, and I love writing this story. I'll try to update soon, but no promises cause I am still on vacation. Okay, on with the show!

* * *

Title: Confessions of a Broken Heart 

Author: dolphingirl0113

Chapter: Eleven

Rating: PG-13 (rated for violence, language, and implied sexual situations)

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

* * *

Kagome felt her chest compress more and more the closer they became to the source of Kikyou's scream, as though some invisible string were slowly being tightened around her heart. An immense guilt was coursing through her veins, knowing that, even though Inuyasha had, at long last confessed that he loved her, Kikyou had been put in danger while he wasn't watching out for her. If he hadn't been with her, then perhaps the miko would be okay now. 

Kagome assumed that Inuyasha had told his former lover about his feelings, or else he wouldn't have been so willing to voice his thoughts to her, and so she had no doubt that Kikyou was now probably feeling broken inside beyond repair, and that Inuyasha was feeling guilty for having told her at all. It caused Kagome's stomach to clench painfully, and she had the slight urge to vomit right then and there.

"It's just ahead, Inuyasha," She whispered from her vantage point atop his back, able to sense the dark energy that was Naraku, along with the large number of jewel shards, and Inuyasha nodded, not responding as he kept running as fast as he could. She buried her head in the hanyou's shoulder and prepared for the moment when he would burst into the clearing and apologize loudly to Kikyou, telling her he was wrong in what he said, and that he still loved her.

Inuyasha could feel the girl on his back clutch him tighter, and knew that she was feeling very insecure at that moment. It was strange that normally he couldn't read her any better than he could read Latin and yet, at that moment, he was so attuned to her needs and emotions that he could almost predict how she would react. Unfortunately, what he didn't know was how to respond. He knew she was looking for some reassurance, but wasn't sure what he needed to say to make her feel better. He knew he still loved her; that was not debatable, and he had no regrets about telling either her or Kikyou. It was just an unfortunate coincidence that this had all happened at the same time.

"It's going to be alright, Kagome," he finally whispered, his voice kind, and Kagome blinked in surprise, but felt herself smile just the same. He was trying to make her feel better, and it felt good just knowing he was so conscious of what she was feeling.

"Thank you, Inuyasha."

They ran straight into a clearing, the wind whipping through Inuyasha's long silver hair and causing it to fly about madly, but his confident posture instantly recoiled at the suddenly dense atmosphere, thick with negative energy and evil. As Kagome climbed down from his back he let out a low growl, and she readied her bow and arrows in preparation for what was to come, willing herself to be strong.

Naraku stood before them holding an unconscious Kikyou by the throat, her face twisted in a grimace, her eyes closed, and he smirked at the new arrivals as though it were nothing more than a casual get together of friends. "Kikyou said you wouldn't come, Inuyasha," he cooed. "But I knew better."

Kagome felt the familiar sense of insecurity return at the sound of his voice, so like the one of her rapist, but tried to swallow it down with an obvious gulp, desperately trying to ignore it and think instead of everything that Julie had taught her about self defense and confidence. Even Kikyou's voice reverberated throughout her mind, and Kagome hardened her gaze, determined to keep calm, and tightened her grip on her bow, the smooth wood comforting.

"Let her go, Naraku," Inuyasha hissed.

The demon merely chuckled. "Now where's the fun in that, Inuyasah?" He cocked his head to the side as though it were obvious. "Why would I go to all the trouble of finally catching the one woman who could destroy me...and then let her go simply because you say so?"

Kagome heard something in his voice; something familiar...it was cool, calculating, and cruel. He was toying with them, just as her rapist had toyed with her that night, and the thought made her sick as she recalled the other man's weight atop her body, the smell of his sweat in her nose, his knife to her throat. But it also caused her to realize something else she hadn't thought of before; Naraku wasn't after Kikyou this time.

"What do you want from us?" She ground out suddenly, and both men turned to look at her.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha sounded confused, but Naraku simply smirked again. Obviously the girl was smarter than she looked, and it only made the game more interesting. What a pity Kagome was so good...though once he was done with her perhaps she wouldn't be any longer.

For her part, Kagome simply continued to stand her ground, placing her hands on her hips in a posture she often assumed when fighting with Inuyasha. "You obviously don't plan to kill Kikyou," she rationalized simply, "or else you would have done it already. So now that we have fallen into your trap...once again...what do you want of us?"

The demon smiled. "You're smarter than you look, girl," He cooed, and Inuyasha whirled around to look at his enemy once more, not liking his tone at all. Naraku glanced at the hanyou and suddenly acquired an annoyed expression. "Here Inuyasha, take your dead woman...she no longer interests me."

His voice had turned cold as he threw Kikyou's body, the miko's figure flying through the air as though it were a mere rag doll, and Inuyasha found himself flying backwards from the impact before he could even guess what was happening, his body plastered flat on the ground.

The impact was enough to shake the woman, because Kikyou groaned as she came slowly back to consciousness, oxygen once more returning to her lungs. "Inuyasha..." she mumbled, her voice a mere whisper.

He looked up from where he was pinned to the ground, only to find Kikyou staring at him with half-closed eyes full of pain. But there was still fire in her depths, and intelligence, and he could see that she would pull through because she was strong. But then the scent of blood caught his attention, and he looked down to see a large gash in her side. "Kikyou..." He hadn't even realized she could bleed any more.

She just sighed, exhausted. "Protect Kagome..."

His eyes flew open in surprise, never having expected such a selfless request to come from the miko's lips, but then managed to smile for her sake. "I know," he said, his voice gentle as he rolled to his side slowly, taking the injured woman in his arms to move her somewhere else. He didn't love her any more, it was true, but that didn't mean he wanted to see her suffer.

Naraku just laughed at the scene and turned back to Kagome, who was trying valiantly to look away from the tender scene, instead aiming an arrow for the demon's heart, her eyes narrowed dangerously. She wouldn't look...she wouldn't look...

Confession or no, it was still painful to see the two former lovers together, and Kagome felt the old insecurity return again in force, despite her attempts to push it away. Would he still leave her in the end, even after all that they'd said to one another?

Kagome caught the corner of Naraku's eye, and realized that was exactly what he wanted her to think. He wanted her to doubt Inuyasha's loyalty to her, just as Kikyou had done fifty years before, and the thought caused her to boil with anger. Once again he was hoping she was just like Kikyou...well damn it all, she wasn't! And she would prove it once and for all!

Growling low in her throat, wishing desperately that it could sound as intimidating as when Inuyasha made the sound, she swore silently that she would not meet the same fate as her incarnation. "You've hurt them too much," she hissed, and with that released the arrow.

Naraku was surprised but appeared unconcerned as he watched the arrow surround itself in a pink halo, flying towards him. He waited until it was barely a foot away, and flicked his hand, Kanna magically appearing at his side, her mirror absorbing the arrow without a second thought. He smirked again in triumph.

Kagome took a step back in surprise, not having realized the white haired girl was anywhere nearby. What more was Naraku intending to do? Her sudden uncertainty was enough to bring back the fears she was trying so hard to avoid thinking about.

"Inuyasha?" Like a coward, his name escaped her lips, and she found herself desperately wishing he was at her side. Where was he? She felt suddenly vulnerable not knowing if he was nearby.

In her moment of weakness, Kanna turned her head sharply to the right and caught Kagome unawares, locking her in the haunting girl's gaze, unable to look away. Naraku smiled as he watched the scene unfold, knowing his plan was working flawlessly, everyone reacting exactly as he had forseen.

Kagome felt helpless, like her body was no longer her own. Kanna's gaze was unflinching...unwavering...and pulled her away from reality, pulling her deep down into a dark world of silence. And as the forest around her faded into a haze of green and brown, Kagome noted mentally that the girl was capturing her soul.

"No..." She whispered, trying to break the spell, but was unable to do anything but be frozen in place. She realized, painfully, that she was still just as weak as she had been before...that all her work had been for nothing. Her body sagged in disappointment.

Inuyasha, having set Kikyou down in the safety of some shrubbery nearby, leaning her body against a large stone, ran at Naraku with tetsusaiga drawn and at the ready. He didn't notice Kagome, the demon noted with pleasure, and he wanted to keep it that way...for the moment.

"Naraku, you bastard! You'll pay for what you did to her!" Inuyasha swung the tetsusaiga down, and a beam of energy rushed the demon, only to be deflected by a small barrier surrounding his body.

He smirked. "Do you honestly never learn from our encounters, Inuyasha?"

But Inuyasha smiled as well. "I do, and I've learned a few new tricks." The blade of the sword grew red, and swirls of energy surrounded it, causing Naraku to take a step back, for once unsure of what his opponent was about to do. He'd never seen this technique before.

With a swipe of the blade, a new attack rushed him, only this time his barrier did not deflect it, instead disintegrating into nothing. He was surprised, but tried to hide it well with a small laugh. "Indeed, you are smarter than I've given you credit for." He sensed something behind him, and looked over to see Kagome locked in Kanna's gaze, her soul slowly being drawn from her body and towards the mirror, where he planned to keep it, and Kagome, under his control. She would do well for him as one of his minions.

"Almost there," he whispered to himself as he returned his attention to Inuyasha, who was rushing him for another attack, still oblivious to what was happening to the girl he loved. Though he had become smarter, he was still obviously just as simple minded as always, only able to focus on one thing at a time.

But Kikyou had noticed the demon's momentary shift in focus, and followed his gaze to see Kagome. She gasped in horror, knowing Inuyasha did not see what was happening to the girl, and did the only thing she could think of to get his attention shifted to something other than Naraku. "Inuyasha!" She cried, but her voice was still raspy from where her windpipe had been cut off in Naraku's hands, and she sighed in frustration.

Thankfully the hanyou had sharp ears, and stopped short of cutting Naraku in two at the sound of her voice, leaving himself open to be attacked. Naraku took advantage of this and sent a wave of energy in his direction, knocking him back against a tree, pain searing down his neck and over his shoulders at the impact. "Kikyou..." he whispered, wondering if she was in trouble again.

But then he realized something...or rather, noticed the absence of someone. Where was Kagome? He cursed, realizing that, yet again, he had put his concern for Kikyou above the woman he loved, even now after confessing his feelings and sharing that kiss by the stream. He could have kicked himself. What the hell was wrong with him, anyway?

He wildly tossed his head from side to side, desperate to find her, but the impact had made his vision go hazy, and seeing anything was a monumental effort. Where was she? What was going on?

"Kikyou?" He called out again, sounding like a lost little child, and this time all he wanted was a comforting presence to assure him that everything would be okay. Why he called her name, he did not know...perhaps it was just some primal instinct that had not yet completely buried itself within his soul.

A blur of red and white moved toward him, swaying in and out of his eye sight, and then Inuyasha felt a comforting hand, though it was cold, land on his shoulder as the miko fell to her knees beside him, breathing heavily from the exertion of moving herself. "Inuyasha," her voice cracked as she whispered. "Kagome...you have to help her."

There was a strong amount of fear in her voice, and he could smell it on her body too, and that only managed to further fuel the fire burning in his belly. Inuyasha felt a deep sense of foreboding, and wanted to hit something...anything...if it would make his vision return to normal again. He had to know what was going on! Where was Kagome? And why the hell was it taking so long for him to recover his sight?

"Where is Kagome?" He growled, desperation in his tone, and as he spoke Kikyou's face, at last, slowly came into focus, sharpening the worry evident in her eyes as she looked at him.

"She is..."

Naraku laughed, interrupting her words, and the former lovers turned as one to look over at their mutual enemy. Inuyasha growled, and Kikyou stiffened. "So tell me Kikyou, how does it feel to watch your own soul die again by my hands?"

Kikyou frowned, but then gasped, unwilling to believe what she was seeing. Inuyasha followed the dead miko's gaze, his own eyes finally back to normal, and jumped instantly to his feet, ignoring the fact that his spine felt as though it were having to physically restack itself as he stood up thanks to the impact he'd had a few moments earlier with the trunk of the tree. The voice that was ripped from his throat was hoarse and desperate. "Kagome!"

Her soul, pure and white, was currently headed for Kanna's mirror, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He watched, helpless, as the woman he loved became more and more a lifeless doll, her eyes clouding over and her pupils fading away, gazing into some space none of them could see as though unaware that there was nothing wrong...that her very life was being sucked away.

"Kagome!" He screamed again, trying to move forward as he drew his sword, feeling the sudden adrenaline in his veins propelling him towards his love and erasing the pain in his body. "Stupid wench! Fight back!" He searched for some sign that she had heard him, and was rewarded when she turned her head slightly in his direction. It caused his heart to soar.

For her part, Kagome was vaguely aware of the man she loved calling to her, but it was as though he was now far away, on a distant isle separated by a sea of fog. She tried to find him, to reach out to him, to hold on to that voice that made her feel so warm. But she couldn't...she was still weak, and everything was going cold as though she had been dropped in a pit of snow.

Her final thought, before passing into the world of darkness, was that this had been Naraku's plan from the start...to capture her...just like her rapist had. To capture her and then wound her very soul.

It did always come back to that night, she realized then with a tragic sob. She would never escape it.

"Inu...yasha..." She whispered, seeing a faint outline of his body, his hair, his ears, his strong figure, before her eyes went dark. The outline of his ears perked up slightly, ever sensitive to the voice of his love, hoping she was fighting back and returning to him. But this time, for the first time, her words brought him no comfort. She could not return to him. Not this time. "I'm...sorry..." And then she collapsed.

"Kagome!!!!" Inuyasha's scream filled the forest, wrenching at the heart of any living creature within a five mile radius, as he rushed to her side, catching her just before she hit the ground.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**New Author's Notes:** In honor of the one year anniversary of the first chapter of 'The Confessions Trilogy' I have decided to perform a massive edit of this story, and will be going over every single chapter. Below you will find all the original author's notes from the story, because I hadn't the heart to part with them, and then beyond that the new and improved story. Maybe this will become a tradition...we'll just have to wait and see!

* * *

_**   
Though not described in detail, this story does deal with rape so be warned if that sort of topic bothers you**_

* * *

**   
Original Author's Notes:** Well, this is the last update you'll get from Hawaii...how sad. But I have had a wonderful time, and I feel that, at long last, my batteries are all recharged and I can successfully return to the real world now. Actually, when I was scuba diving the other day, it occurred to me that someone should write a one-shot about Inuyasha scuba-diving. Wouldn't that be cute (not to mention hilarious)??? Anyway, I hope you like this chapter, and that it isn't too confusing. Things will be explained, and start to resolve themselves, in the next chapter, so sorry for the cliff hanger, but I felt it was necessary. You'll thank me later! Well...maybe not...but anyway, on with the show!

* * *

Title: Confessions of a Broken Heart 

Author: dolphingirl0113

Chapter: Twelve

Rating: PG-13 (rated for violence, language, and implied sexual situations)

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

* * *

Sango was leaning over the large cooking fire in Kaede's hut, a bowl full of soup in her hand, when a sudden dark feeling of foreboding caused her body to shiver. As a result she spilled much of the contents of the bowl, the liquid sizzling over the hot stones in the fire, catching the attention of Miroku, who was nearby tending to Shippou's wounded head where a nasty lump had appeared thanks to Inuyasha thumping the kitsune with his fist. 

"Sango?" He was concerned. It was not like her to be clumsy. "What is it?" The monk watched his wife-to-be closely as she rose up to her full height, staring out the door and into the forest beyond with dark eyes.

"Something's happened," he barely heard her whisper as she turned to meet his gaze. "I can feel it, Miroku."

He frowned. "What do you mean? What's happened?"

Sango turned back to look straight ahead once more, as though he were invisible. "It's Kagome," She said in sudden understanding, her eyes clearing as she seemed to decide what she needed to do. "I can feel her...somehow. She's in trouble." Miroku tensed, and Sango turned back to him again. "I have to go to her." And with that she disappeared into the back room of the hut, emerging moments later in her exterminator clothes, her large weapon, Hiraikotsu, slung across her back.

"Then I'll go with you," Miroku responded quickly, rising to his feet and claiming his staff from the corner in his hands, feeling the old, smooth wood on his fingertips as though he were reminiscing with an old friend. It never failed to calm his raging nerves, which always enabled the monk to seem incredibly passive and unafraid even in the darkest of times; though at the moment he could not deny to himself that his stomach had become a raging tempest of fear and apprehension. He hoped nothing bad had befallen Kagome...or Inuyasha, for that matter.

"Hey, what are you guys talking about? What's going on? What's wrong with Kagome?"

In her haste Sango had completely forgotten about the little kitsune, but now she turned and saw him gazing up at both she and Miroku with confusion and fear. His body was trembling, and he was clenching his fists at his sides.

Smiling, hoping the gesture would reassure the boy somewhat (at least more than it was reassuring her at the moment), she moved over and touched him on the shoulder kindly. "I'm sure nothing is wrong with Kagome, Shippou...I just want to make sure that's true, okay?" He eyed her suspiciously, but she could see that he believed her, so she continued. "I've learned over the years, especially on this journey, to trust my instincts. That's all this is about."

The kitsune raised an eyebrow. "But you think Kagome is okay?"

Sango took a deep breath, knowing she couldn't lie to the boy but at the same time not exactly wanting to be honest either. She knew he viewed Kagome as a surrogate mother who had taken him in without question and protected him after his own family had died. So now how could she possibly tell him that she feared for Kagome's life? Then again, how could she not?

"I don't know, Shippou," she finally said, deciding to take the honest route. She saw him tense and smiled again, tightening her grip on his shoulder. "But I do know that Kagome is strong. Besides," she winked, "She has Inuyasha to protect her."

Shippou snorted at that. "Not likely, since the last we saw of that stupid hanyou was when he ran after Kikyou...again..." He crossed his arms to accent his point, his nostrils flaring in agitation.

The demon exterminator tensed, forgetting for a moment that she was trying to comfort the boy. Shippou had a point. Kagome had disappeared only moments after Inuyasha, saying that she needed to be alone for a while with the usual look on her face that came around whenever Kikyou was nearby. That meant she was in a weaker state than usual...and Inuyasha was never predictable when you threw his old lover into the mix. Could things be worse then she suspected?

"I'm sure she's okay, Shippou," she finally said, though her voice was tight with strain, and she prayed that her words were true. "And I promise that I'll bring her back with us."

The kitsune still seemed doubtful, clearly not the stupid little child he had once been. Sometimes they all forgot that it had been nearly three years since the journey had begun, and he'd grown up a lot. He finally nodded. "Okay, but if you're not back soon, with Kagome, then I'll come find you."

Sango couldn't help but smile at the little demon's courage, despite the fact that with his age and size he didn't stand a chance against Naraku or any of his minions. It was nice to know that, if Kagome were in danger, Shippou would stand up to the monsters of hell itself if he had to. "Okay," she agreed, "But be sure to give us some time before you come. If the sun goes down and we're not back, then you and Kaede can come looking for us, alright?"

He thought about it for a moment and then, seeming satisfied, gave them a nod, crossing his arms and attempting to look like Inuyasha. Even though he and the hanyou fought all the time, everyone knew the kitsune viewed the older man as the father figure he had lost, looking up to him and worshiping his strength and ability to fight.

All the more reason for Kagome and Inuyasha to get together, Sango thought wryly, but pushed that thought to the back of her mind for a time when there wasn't such a sense of danger in the air.

"We'd better get going then," Miroku said simply, breaking her thoughts, and she glanced at him to see him smile. Sango felt herself instantly relax, grateful that she had the love of a man such as he, who would always be able to calm her nerves in any situation with just a look.

"Kirara!" She called, and the cat demon was instantly at her side, transforming into her larger form and growling loudly. Leaping atop and helping Miroku, they started off at a run for the forest. She felt Miroku slip his arms around her waist for support, and for the first time, instead of rejecting him, Sango leaned back into his body slightly for comfort, her thoughts shifting back again to her friend.

It was true; Inuyasha had last been seen running after Kikyou, leaving Kagome behind, defenseless and heartbroken. Her heart clenched in fear at the thought, and she silently prayed as Kirara moved over the ground swiftly, tracking Naraku's scent, as well as the scent of their friends.

Please, Inuyasha, she prayed to herself; for once I beg you to protect Kagome, despite the presence of Kikyou. She needs you now more then ever...don't fail her!

"Hold on, Kagome," she whispered aloud, and felt Miroku squeeze her waist in silent support, having heard what she said and no doubt thinking the same thing she was. She closed her eyes. "Don't fail her, Inuyasha..."

* * *

Kagome's body was pale and lifeless, her skin having gone cold, her fingers clammy. What was normally a vibrant, beautiful young woman had been reduced to a doll-like body in a matter of seconds. And to add insult to injury, Naraku was laughing as though it were the funniest thing he had ever seen while Inuyasha clutched the girl's body closer to him protectively, almost desperately, as though he would will the life back into her figure by sheer will alone. A grow escaped his throat, unbidden but instinctive, and that only caused Naraku to laugh more. 

"Once again I have proven that love brings nothing but pain," he mocked with his trademark smirk in place. He turned to looked at Kikyou, who was still kneeling where Inuyasha had fallen only moments before, her eyes staring at the imprint his body had left in the grass, her hands resting in her lap. "Wouldn't you agree, Kikyou? After all, what did your love bring to you other than pain and suffering?"

The miko remained as passive as ever as she slowly lifted her head and returned Naraku's gaze steadily, not one muscle in her jaw twitching to betray her discomfort and inner rage. "I had joy for a time, Naraku," she commented coolly, "And that is what matters."

Naraku regarded her haughtily, clearly not believing what she said. "Are you telling me that if you had the choice, you would do everything over again...knowing that you would die in the end? That you would give your life for a man who, in the end, would repay you by loving another?"

Kikyou chose not to respond, but her silence seemed to be the answer he was looking for, because Naraku threw his head back and laughed again, feeling like he'd won, even if it was only a small, insignificant victory over an insignificant argument with an insignificant woman.

He returned his gaze to Inuyasha, who was clutching Kagome to him as though to squeeze the life back into her, and rolled his eyes. "You prove my point, Inuyasha. A strong man such as you is utterly crippled whenever that girl is in trouble." He acquired a genuinely confused look. "Why would you want such a handicap in your life? Why would you choose to attach yourself to such a weak, insignificant human who is always in need of your protection?"

For once Inuyasha managed to reign in his temper, choosing not to answer, instead looking down at Kagome's slack features as he brushed a hand over her forehead tenderly, swiping away a stray lock of hair and securing it behind her ear. Her skin was so cold...so unlike her. He willed her to wake up, even going so far as to shake her body gently by the shoulders, watching in desperation as her head lolled to the side, utterly lifeless.

He willed her to open her eyes, to gaze up at him with those beautiful, dark, doe-like orbs of hers that were always so full of energy, fire, and love. Love for him. All she had to ever do was look at him and he felt better. He needed that now more than ever. "Kagome..." He whispered. "Please wake up."

But she didn't.

Kikyou watched the scene playing out before her with a mixture of pain and pleasure, unsure which she would rather feel. She wanted Inuyasha to be happy, she realized, but she also desperately wished that it was she who brought him such joy and not the girl from the future who was currently in his arms.

If only things had turned out differently, she thought sadly. If only she had trusted him all those years ago, and believed that he could never have attacked her in such a cruel way...but she had, and this is where she was now as a result. She lowered her head in defeat.

Naraku decided now was as good a time as any to finally destroy his nemesis once and for all, since Inuyasha was currently paying absolutely no attention to the situation he was in, absorbed as he was in protecting Kagome. Raising his arm above his head, Naraku sent a spiraling wave of dark energy, jaggedly pointed on the ends, toward the heartbroken hanyou who had no chance of avoiding the attack.

But at the last instant, to his chagrin, a pink light blinded his vision, and Naraku was forced to put up a hand to cover his sensitive eyes.

Inuyasha had covered Kagome's body with his own, prepared to die if it meant saving her and feeling that, so long as she was in her current state, he had no reason to live anyway. But after several seconds of waiting with his eyes shut tightly, when no impact came, the hanyou slowly lifted his head to see Kikyou's elegant form in front of him, her robes billowing in the wind and her arms stretched out as though to form a human barrier between him and Naraku. Her bow was in one hand, empty from just having fired an arrow.

"Kikyou..." Her name rolled of his tongue in a whisper of shock, and he didn't know what else to say.

The miko didn't even turn to look at him, her eyes trained instead upon Naraku, who was giving her a glare full of hate. "You will not harm either Inuyasha or Kagome," she stated in a calm voice, though both men could hear the deadly undertone in her words.

Naraku just laughed. "You could die, Kikyou. Are you sure you are prepared to make such a selfless sacrifice again?"

Kikyou smiled sadly and stood up taller, feeling Kagome's lost soul struggling to get free from within Kanna's mirror. She knew what she had to do. "You forget Naraku," she commented coolly, notching another arrow, "That I am already dead." And with one final smirk, she let the arrow fly, praying it would hit its mark, and that her plan would work.

* * *

It was cold, dark and lonely. 

Kagome wasn't sure if she was up, down, sideways, backwards, or forwards as she was floating in midair, her body feeling weightless but heavy at the same time as she was curled tightly in the fetal position, her eyes shut against the pain of the darkness. She wanted the light back. She wanted to feel alive again. And yet...it felt so nice to just lay there.

"That's right, Kagome, just go to sleep now," a hauntingly beautiful voice, which she recognized as Kanna's, cooed soothingly. Kagome relaxed, wanting nothing more than to sleep forever...she was so tired. "Go to sleep, Kagome. You've fought long enough."

She sighed.

Yes, she had fought this battle a long time. Longer than she had ever expected. And after nearly three years of juggling lies with her friends, risking her life, and traveling across time to clash with evil demons, it was time that she took a rest. It made perfect sense.

And yet...something was holding her back. Something she couldn't quite place. It frustrated her, because the sleep was so near, waiting...but something was keeping her back in the world of reality, not allowing her to move on.

"Inuyasha?"

His face came to her then like an image from heaven itself, his amber eyes, that reminded her so much of a sunset, beaming as he smiled, his silver hair gleaming in the light of the moon, the selfsame moon that could turn him into a helpless human once every month, and his cute dog ears that completely ruined any attempt he ever made of looking formidable...at least in her case.

She had decided long ago that he was not handsome. No...Inuyasha was beautiful. He was beautiful in a tragic way, his eyes, even when he laughed, carrying a certain amount of sadness, his shoulders sagging under the weight of the lonely burden he had carried all his life. And yet she could also recall how when he was with her he seemed hopeful too, his eyes brimming over with vigor and zest for life, and she knew that he loved her.

Tears rolled down her cold cheeks, and Kagome felt the sudden urge to fight back against whatever force was keeping her in the dark. She wanted to see Inuyasha again, to feel his arms around her as they comforted her and kept her safe. She wanted to touch his face again with her hands, feeling the soft skin beneath her fingers and the strong muscles of his jaw quivering under her touch. And she wanted to hear his voice again, her cheek against his chest as the vibrations in his chest soothed her to sleep.

God, she loved him.

"Inuyasha," she whispered again, this time in a stronger voice, and began to uncurl herself from the fetal position, preparing herself to fight back against whatever force was keeping her in the dark.

"No, Kagome," The voice warned. "You cannot win. Just sleep...that's all you need to do now. Don't you want to rest? Don't you want all the pain they've given you to go away forever?"

"No," Kagome refuted, but even so had the feeling that it was futile to fight back. The voice was right. All she ever managed to be was a burden to everyone...always the victim and never anything but the victim. Wouldn't it be better for them all, for the mission, if she just didn't come back? If she just wasn't there any more to hold them back?

"That's it, Kagome," the voice soothed, "Just relax. You don't have to be a burden to them any more. Inuyasha can be free."

Free?

Kagome felt herself jerk violently at that, trying to shake the drowsy feeling from her limbs as her heart rebelled against such an idea. What the hell did the voice mean by free? Inuyasha loved her, didn't he?

And yet Kagome felt the familiar sense of doubt returning to overtake her sense of reason; the fear that he would leave her, even now, after having confessed his love, the feeling that she would always fall short compared to Kikyou. But more then anything, she feared the first, that he would, in the end, even after everything they'd been through, still abandon her for Kikyou.

The feelings caused her to curl up once more in the fetal position, trying to get warm as she was suddenly plagued by an attack of shivers. The voice was right, she realized. She had no place with either him or her friends, because all she would ever be was a burden...a victim needing to be rescued.

They were better off without her.

"And Kikyou will finally be happy this way," she whispered.

"Get up," a familiar voice, as if on cue, demanded from behind, and Kagome jerked around, managing to float on her knees, her hands at her sides. She found herself staring at a familiar pair of tan slippers and white stockings, and as she raised her eyes slowly she recognized the red pants and then white top of a priestess of the Feudal Era. And then Kagome found herself staring at the mirror image of herself, the woman's eyes dark and serious.

"Kikyou..." She breathed, her voice catching.

The miko's face was hard and impassive, beautiful and tragic as ever, her eyes deep and full of intelligence. Her body was surrounded in light, and Kagome felt blinded, her eyes having grown accustomed to the endless dark. "Stop feeling sorry for yourself and fight back," Kikyou scolded, her voice cold and impassive.

"But...I can't..." Kagome whimpered softly, sounding pathetic, even to her ears. She looked away, unable to meet the other woman's eyes directly as they seemed to bore into her very soul, stripping away all her layers until nothing was left but the core of her existence...of her nature.

"If you think Inuyasha would be happy without you, then you're a fool who doesn't deserve his love." Kikyou's gaze forced Kagome to look up, her eyes branding her skin with shame.

"But..."

"And what of your friends? Do the woman, the monk, and the little kitsune suddenly mean nothing to you?"

Kagome felt her temper flare. "They mean more to me than you'll ever know! And Inuyasha..." She didn't know what to say, tears choking back her words at the thought of her beloved. "I..." She gulped. "All I ever do is cause him problems. I'm always in trouble, always the victim needing to be rescued. He's always having to drop what he's doing and come save poor little Kagome."

Kikyou eyed her steadily, one of her eyebrows arching ever so slightly. "And you honestly think he minds playing the hero for you?"

It wasn't the question Kagome had been expecting, especially from her incarnation, and her surprise forced her to look deeper into Kikyou's eyes, realizing that, for once, she was truly trying to help her. "Why...?" The question was out of her mouth before she could even think of what she was saying.

Kikyou just stared back. "If you can't answer that question yourself than you're more of a fool than I thought."

There was pain interlaced with the brave words, and Kagome suddenly realized that this was the dead woman's last act of devotion for the man who had been her first and last love. Oh god, why did she have to be so damn perfect all the time? So courageous and admirable?

"But I can't..." She replied, reverting back to her old argument.

"Well if you're looking for sympathy you'll get none from me," Kikyou snapped harshly, her eyes going hard once more. "Now get up!"

Kagome looked away, feeling tears of frustration in her eyes. Why couldn't the heartless woman, just this once, show her a little sympathy? Why couldn't she understand that she, Kagome, was just not as strong as everyone thought? "I may be your reincarnation," she hissed, "But I am not as strong as you! When will everyone realize that I'm not you?"

Kikyou stared at her in silence for a moment before subtly shrugging her shoulders. "I never said you were me, Kagome. You did. If you can't make the distinction, then that's you're problem. But I have never said that you were me. In fact," she smiled slightly, "All you've ever done is prove to the world that you are stronger than I ever thought possible...stronger than I ever could have hoped to be."

At that Kagome found herself swallowing her next bitter retort, trying to process what she was hearing. Had Kikyou just given her a compliment?

"Don't let it go to your head," the older woman said as though reading her thoughts, and narrowed her gaze. "Now get up."

"But, I...I need help," Kagome stammered, and Kikyou arched an eyebrow.

"No you don't."

"What?"

"I said you don't need help." She gave Kagome a full on glare. "Now get up, or Inuyasha will die because of you."

It was a cruel thing to say, but as a last resort, it worked. Kagome shot to her feet, feeling energy swirl around her body, and noticed a pink aura when she looked down at her hands. She would never let anyone suggest that she could ever allow Inuyasha to be hurt because of her.

When she looked up she saw that Kikyou had a smile on her face, seeming rather pleased with herself, as though she'd know her words would have that reaction all along. "So you do love him then," she commented casually, almost as though she'd had her doubts before that moment.

"Of course I do," Kagome hissed, furious that anyone could think otherwise, and bitter that the woman would put such a thing as Inuyasha's death on her already guilty conscience. "And he will not die because of me."

There was an underlying insult to her words...a subtle allusion to Kikyou's past with Inuyasha...and the miko blanched slightly, though she was quickly able to mask her face again with another glare. She was already barely holding on to her image in that dark place full of negative energy, and as such she sure as hell didn't have time to argue with her stubborn and willful reincarnation.

Thinking quickly, she held out a bow and quiver full of arrows, to which Kagome responded by giving her a dumb stare, as though it weren't obvious what she was supposed to do. Kikyou sighed in frustration. "Take the bow Kagome," she commanded, her voice firm. "Take it and fight back!"

Kagome cocked her head to one side in a painfully similar way to that of Inuyasha, and the miko felt something twist deep in her heart as she realized that the girl had obviously picked up a few of the hanyou's mannerisms...including his rueful temper, she thought with a wry smile. That would probably be what would save her in the end, when it was all said and done.

"What will happen if I take it?" Kagome asked, staring suspiciously at the bow as though waiting for monsters to spring forth and grab her. She certainly wouldn't put it past Kikyou to try and kill her...she'd done it before. But, to her chagrin, Kikyou remained silent and so, deciding she had no other choice, Kagome swallowed her fear and reached out for the bow.

The wood instantly seared her skin painfully, as though branding some mark onto her skin, and Kagome jumped back immediately, glaring at her incarnation with accusation in her eyes. For her part Kikyou just continued to stare blandly back, barely shrugging her shoulders as she spoke. "Did you expect that obtaining your freedom would be easy, Kagome? You have to fight for it, just like you have to fight for anything good in this world."

Huffing at the ignorance and cold demeanor of the woman before her, Kagome turned her glare on the bow, wondering if Kikyou was even going so far as to enjoy the pain and suffering she was in.

"Trust me, I take no joy in seeing you like this, Kagome," the miko commented, yet again seeming to read her thoughts, and Kagome froze, feeling slightly embarrassed. For an instant Kikyou's face softened, a glimmer of encouragement flickering through her eyes, but then she hardened her expression once more. "Now take the bow and fight back."

She didn't need to be told twice, and Kagome reached for the bow again, determination etched into her features. She would prove to Kikyou, and everyone else, once and for all that she was her own person...that she was strong, and could defend herself. Hell, if Kikyou, her arch rival, believed in her, then believing in herself should be easy, right?

With that thought in mind she moved to secure her fingers tightly around the bow, but stopped momentarily when the voice returned. "No, Kagome...you cannot break free. Why are you listening to the one woman who would rather see you dead then alive and in Inuyasha's arms? And she's not the only one. Everyone would benefit from your death, Kagome...even your beloved hanyou. Then he could be with Kikyou without guilt."

A long, tension filled silence stretched between the two women, so alike and yet so different, as the voice finished speaking, and Kagome found herself poised midair, struggling with whether or not to take the bow. Its light was burning in the dark cold that surrounded her own body, and she repelled it as much as she welcomed its warmth, afraid of what would happen if she chose to fight back. But at the same time, that bow meant life, and God as her witness, she wanted to live. She wanted to live for him.

Inuyasha once more came to her mind, and this time she could almost see him before her, reaching for her, trying to help her, his warm hands burning into her cold skin.

The darkness flickered, like the reverse of a candle trying to go out, and she could have sworn she saw an image of her in his arms, unconscious, her body lifeless as he clutched her to his chest. She blinked in surprise. Could it be possible? Did he want her to live that badly?

"No Kagome, don't believe what you see," the voice warned.

But the voice was too late. Kagome knew what she had seen, and she now knew for sure that Inuyasha wanted her with him. The memory of their first kiss, his lips arm against hers that night in her bedroom, and then the next morning when she had woke to the feel of his body spooned against hers, was fresh in her mind, and she recalled how warm he had been with a smile. And then that second glorious kiss, when he had told her he loved her...the way he had sighed against her lips, and the warmth that had spread through her body after words.

"Inuyasha..." She sighed his name softly, like a lover's caress, and it was as though a surge of strength flooded her veins, starting at her heart, her core, and circulating throughout her entire body.

Kikyou watched in fascination as the pink aura that surrounded Kagome reached out for the bow and arrows, surrounding it, purifying it, until at last the girl's hand held the object in a strong grip. And as their eyes met, the miko nodded in approval, knowing that finally her task was done, fading into nothing.

Kagome felt power unlike anything she'd ever known surge through her as her fingertips touched the bow and arrows, and before she even realized what was happening, her soul was flying forward, pulling her with it, back through the mirror and slamming her into her body as Kanna's mirror shattered behind her. Her body jerked, her eyes flew open, and she found herself gazing up at a very shocked Inuyasha.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**New Author's Notes:** In honor of the one year anniversary of the first chapter of 'The Confessions Trilogy' I have decided to perform a massive edit of this story, and will be going over every single chapter. Below you will find all the original author's notes from the story, because I hadn't the heart to part with them, and then beyond that the new and improved story. Maybe this will become a tradition...we'll just have to wait and see!

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_**Though not described in detail, this story does deal with rape so be warned if that sort of topic bothers you

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**_

**Original Author's Notes:** Sorry this update took a few days, everyone, but I've been really busy getting back into my normal life. I promise to try and be more frequent from now on. I don't have much to say other than thanks again for all the reviews, and in response to one request in particular I have received from a few of you, I'm sorry, I just don't have time to send out individual emails to people when I update the story. I wish I did...but I don't.

This is the last of the cliffhangers, or at least I think it is, so yeah for that. We'll have to see to be sure, but I'm not planning at this time on making any more, so don't be too mad at me for the way this chapter ends! Enjoy!

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Title: Confessions of a Broken Heart 

Author: dolphingirl0113

Chapter: Thirteen

Rating: PG-13 (rated for violence, language, and implied sexual situations)

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

* * *

It had all happened in an instant, no faster then what it took to blink an eye. Kikyou had fired her arrow, surprisingly not at Naraku but rather Kanna's mirror. The mirror had absorbed the attack as soup would swallow something solid, and then time had seemed to stop momentarily before suddenly the mirror shattered into thousands of pieces, and now...Inuyasha could hardly believe it. Now Kagome was lying in his arms with her eyes alert and full of life, her body engulfed in a halo of pink. 

He couldn't find the words to speak, though he could feel the prickling of grateful tears at the corners of his eyes.

"Inuyasha..." Kagome's voice was soft and serene, and he felt himself instantly relax despite the presence of his enemy. She was alive, and she would be okay. So long as he knew that, nothing else really mattered...other than keeping her safe, that is.

A deadly silence filled the forest, the kind that only foreshadowed bad things to come. Pieces of glass, all once part of Kanna's magical mirror, littered the ground, glittering like thousands of tiny knives waiting to attack, while Kanna herself stood still, her eyes and face expressionless, as though nothing had happened. A slight wind whipped through her hair.

Naraku was dumbfounded, utterly and completely. How had Kagome possibly broken free? No one ever broke free of Kanna's mirror once their soul was gone, and he had been sure her soul had been securely captured. So how could she be wide awake and in Inuyasha's arms at that moment? It made no sense.

Just as the demon was about to turn and rail against Kanna for failing him, however, the sound of labored breathing reached his ears, and Naraku turned to see Kikyou on her knees, her hair free of its restraining white ribbon, her forehead beaded with sweat and her breathing coming in rapidly erratic gasps. He narrowed his eyes, and a scowl marred his otherwise handsome features. "Kikyou," he hissed, and realized then that she, as always, had been the one to foil his plans somehow.

As though to defy him yet again, she merely turned, her eyes blank, her face devoid of any and all emotion, bravely meeting his gaze head on. Naraku couldn't help but feel an old twinge of admiration for the woman, who could so easily mask what she was really thinking; her features were flawlessly protecting the inner turmoil he was sure she was experiencing at that moment.

At the sound of Kikyou's name on Naraku's lips, Inuyasha raised his head to see the demon and the miko locked in a heated gaze, though the woman looked like she was at much more of a disadvantage with all the blood leaking out of her wounded side, staining her blouse as red as her pants.

The hanyou realized then that it had been Kikyou who had brought Kagome back to him. It had to have been, since the mirror had only shattered after she had fired her arrow. She had saved Kagome's life, and was now, judging by the look on Naraku's face, in for a swift and brutal revenge. He had to protect her...but how?

Not for the first time, Inuyasha felt horribly torn between the two women in his life, one of them currently lying in his arms, vulnerable but apparently okay, the other equally as vulnerable and alone two feet away. In this case, however, the difference was that Kikyou was currently in the sight of Naraku, and Kagome was not.

He knew what he had to do.

Gently setting her down so that he was sure she felt no pain, feeling a small sense of loss as her warmth left his arms, Inuyasha swept a stray strand of hair out of Kagome's eyes in a tenderness that shocked even him. What had this woman done to him? Whatever it was, he didn't mind so much any more...in fact, he welcomed it.

Kagome smiled, and her face was cool, though much warmer then it had been before, and her entire body was still surrounded by that strange pink halo. The gesture gave him courage, and Inuyasha found himself smiling back, his heart full of love and devotion to an extent he had never thought possible, his eyes pleading with her to understand. She understood his silent message, and nodded. "I know," she whispered, and that was all he needed to rise to his feet and go defend Kikyou.

The miko had not moved, refusing to give an inch to Naraku in their endless dance of love and hate...well, love on his part, and hate on hers. The demon stared back with equal intensity, the ground between them practically rumbling, and Inuyasha could tell right away that he was about to walk into a dangerous battlefield. There would be no going back once he chose to fight...this time it was all or nothing, and someone, at the end of the day, would be dead. He just hoped it was Naraku, since he now had every intention of spending the rest of his life with Kagome.

Thinking out of instinct, the hanyou placed a hand on Kikyou's shoulder, alerting her to his presence, and he noted the way she lowered her eyes and sighed softly in relief. So she had been afraid after all, and was grateful now to have the support of someone else. It made him feel good to know that he was helping her out after all, since normally she always seemed so untouchable.

But to Naraku, seeing Inuyasha come to Kikyou's side, determination etched into his features with his fingers tightly clutching the hilt of his sword, it was the funniest thing in the world. He couldn't help but laugh. "So this time you shall fight me together, rather than fight one another for me? How ironic..."

Neither of his former victims budged, their faces fixed steadily into glares, their eyes brimming with hate. He merely chuckled again and flicked his eyes to his left, where Kagome still sat, recovering from her recent struggle. "Are you sure you should leave her alone, Inuyasha?"

Without meaning to, the hanyou blanched slightly, and that was all Naraku needed to know that he still had the upper hand. So long as Kagome was in danger Inuyasha would not fully protect Kikyou, and vice versa...which, as a result, left both women vulnerable. How predictable that poor sap was...

But his plans were foiled once more, to his frustration, when he turned at the sound of snapping branches to his right, grumbling in what almost could have been a growl deep in his throat as he watched those damnable companions of Inuyasha's, the monk and the exterminator, enter the clearing atop the flying cat demon. So things would be harder than he'd first expected.

"Kagome!" Sango efficiently read the scene before her, noting that Inuyasha was once more with Kikyou while Kagome was sitting all alone, her body engulfed in pink light. The exterminator also observed the shattered mirror and Kanna standing off to one side, seemingly paralyzed. Dear god above...what was going on? What had already happened?

Inuyasha felt himself instantly relax as he saw his friends, never more grateful to have two people with him then he was at that moment. He grinned in Naraku's direction to indicate that he was saved from his dilemma, and smirked even more as he noted the demon's sudden uncomfortable posture. "Sango, Miroku," he called out to the humans, "Watch Kagome for me!"

Sango nodded, but Miroku took a step forward, clutching his staff, looking curious. "Inuyasha, what's happened here?"

The question was simple enough, but it came at the wrong time, and Inuyasha growled in frustration. "Why the hell would you ask me that right now, monk? Are you really that stupid?"

Unfortunately for all of them, the moment the hanyou turned his head to respond to Miroku, Naraku attacked.

It was a swift and deadly attack that had Inuyasha pinned against a tree struggling to get free, a knife circling his throat and preventing him from moving. His body was held just inches off the ground, and at that moment the hanyou had never felt more vulnerable. Where had such an attack come from, anyway? He hadn't even seen that Naraku'd had a knife.

The demon smirked at his prey cruelly. "Haven't you learned by now, Inuyasha, never to underestimate me?" His smirk widened into a full on smile full of malice. "Now I have you right where I want you, and you will die."

Inuyasha fought with all his might to get free, putting his hands up around his neck and pulling up to relieve the pressure on his windpipe, but it was no use. Whatever the balde was made of, he could not get it to budge. He was utterly and completely trapped...useless to either Kagome or Kikyou.

"Inuyasha!" Miroku sprinted toward his friend, dropping his staff and unleashing his wind tunnel as he did so and aiming it directly at Naraku, who was forced to frantically grab for the branches nearest him for support.

The demon whirled his head around, his beady red eyes glaring in anger, and he narrowed his gaze dangerously. "Unluckily for you, monk, I came prepared for everything." He turned his head towards the sky, and Miroku followed his gaze to catch his breath upon seeing the flying bees which were so deadly.

Steeling himself, the monk returned his gaze to Naraku and firmed his resolve, holding his hand steady. "If you think that will stop me from killing you, you're wrong!" He insisted fiercely. "There is nothing I want more than to see you die the same way my father and grandfather have died...by your damnable curse! And if that means my life as well, then so be it!" Sango forgive me, he added to himself silently.

Naraku just laughed again, though he did clutch the branches tighter. "I doubt you'll make it long enough to harm me."

Miroku narrowed his eyes. "We shall see about that."

The bees were instantly sucked into the wind tunnel, disappearing, but unlike before when Miroku could hold out, this time he suddenly and instantaneously collapsed into a heap on the ground. Sweat tricked down his face, and he turned pale like a lamp after someone flipped the switch. "What...what is...this?" he whispered, his voice raspy with the burning pain wracking his body. The poison was stronger, and different somehow, then it had ever been before.

"Do you honestly think I have learned nothing from our previous encounters, monk?" Naraku repeated bitterly, once more rising to his full height now that the danger had passed. "I wasn't about to simply use the bees you've become so adept at withstanding." He smirked. "I think you'll find this new strain of poison a little stronger."

As if in response, Miroku's body clenched tightly, spasoming, and he curled up into a tiny ball to ward off the pain. "Bastard," he hissed, his eyes shut tightly.

"Miroku!" Sango felt panic overtake her body upon seeing her fiancé, the only man she had ever loved, fall to the ground, apparently unconscious, and without thinking her feet began to carry her forward...she had to help him. She had to be near him. Turning to Kirara, she nodded. "Watch Kagome, Kirara."

And with that she ran to Miroku's side, falling to her knees and pulling him out of the line of fire, allowing him to rest his head in her lap as she leaned herself against a small tree. "Miroku..." Tears filled her eyes. "Oh Miroku, why do you have to be so courageous?" She reached down and touched his face, but pulled back as one who had touched hot coals would, although this time it was actually because of how cold his skin was.

The scent of sakura blossoms filled his nose, and Miroku managed to crack his eyes open slightly to see Sango's worried, beautiful face gazing down at him. He smiled slightly. "Ah, my Sango..." And then he collapsed into darkness once more.

Upon seeing this Naraku laughed again, feeling confident that he was now definitely going to win. He had eliminated Inuyasha's support group, and now all that was left was finishing off the weakened Kikyou and her lover before taking Kagome as his own and turning her into his servant.

Returning his attention to the hanyou, who had stopped struggling to free himself and was now simply staring in shock at his fallen friend, he chuckled. "So what now Inuyasha?" he cooed. "No one can save you...are you as prepared to die as you have always claimed you are?"

Inuyasha felt his face pale slightly at the thought of dying, for once not quite as brave as usual, but quickly put on a brave face as he growled and clenched his fists. "A coward as always, Naraku," he hissed, "For not fighting me in hand to hand combat like a true warrior."

The demon rolled his eyes. "Don't lecture me on courage, Inuyasha...I simply don't have the time to fight you. I have better things to do, such as conquering the world." He glanced over at Kagome, who met his gaze fiercely, and shivered slightly in anticipation as he returned his gaze once more to Inuyasha with a suggestive smirk. "She will make me a good wife, don't you think?"

"What!" The very idea of Kagome, his Kagome, in the arms of that man...no...that monster, and no doubt unwillingly, just as she had been with her rapist, caused Inuyasha's blood to boil, and he felt his demon blood unwillingly start to take over since tetsusaiga had fallen to the ground. For once the hanyou wondered if that would be such a bad thing. Perhaps his demon strength could free him, since his hanyou side obviously could not. He started to struggle again.

Naraku chuckled. "Stop fighting, Inuyasha...you're all alone right now. There is no one to protect you."

"Yes there is."

Both men turned to see Kikyou before them, standing once more, though her legs seemed a little shaky. Inuyasha couldn't help but notice how beautiful she looked, with her hair about her wildly, her eyes dangerous dark pools of intelligence and determination, her hands seemingly very strong as she notched her bow. She frowned and glared at Naraku. "So help me," she hissed, "If you touch him I will kill you. Now let him go!"

Naraku simply laughed. "Since when did you have ultimate authority here?" He hardened his gaze. "The last time I checked you were not in the best shape, Kikyou."

The miko pulled the arrow back further so that the bowstring was touching her cheek, and aimed carefully, knowing she would probably only get one good shot. "Let him go," she whispered again in a deadly calm voice. "So help me Naraku, I've already pinned one man to a tree...but with you I will not be so kind!"

But the demon still made no move to obey her command and so, with one final breath, Kikyou unleashed the arrow, watching as it flew straight and true towards its target...the demon who had caused her so much pain and suffering. But at the last second Naraku managed to avoid the attack, and the arrow flew past him, sending a breath of air over his cheek before lodging itself in the tree behind him.

Kikyou's eyes opened in shock, and she wondered where he'd developed such fast reflexes.

"Kill me, eh, you worthless woman?" Naraku hissed. "Now it's my turn!" He launched several attacks of miasma in her direction, and Kikyou was unable to prevent herself from falling to the ground, caught up in the sizzling, hot, disintegrating mess that now surrounded her. Her robes began to dissolve, and she hollered, unwillingly, in pain.

"Kikyou!" Inuyasha had to get free. Damn Naraku and his stupid tricks! Now, not only was he failing Kagome but Kikyou too. And no matter what had changed between them, she did not to deserve to die in such a painful way...it was far too cruel a fate.

Everyone watched, helpless, as the miasma made its way through the robes and started searing the woman's skin, souls flying out of her body as she reacted to the fact that her body was dying. Kikyou, the powerful miko who had been the cause of all Naraku's suffering, had finally seemed to meet her end.

But everything halted when another arrow, powerful and practically illuminating the entire forest, flew straight into the center of the miasma, purifying it and turning it white. What had once been a pit of death was now nothing more than a harmless silver pond, and Kikyou sat in the middle of it, her robes in tatters, staring at her reflection in shock that she was still alive.

His plans once more ruined, Naraku hollered in rage and whirled around to find none other than Kagome standing...no, floating...in the air, her hair billowing about her like a cloud, her entire body shrouded in pink. Her bow was in her hands, but it had turned golden, as had the arrows, and her eyes held such hate for him at that moment that even Naraku could not help but shiver slightly in apprehension.

"Don't you ever touch either Kikyou or Inuyasha again," she hissed, sounding very unlike the normal kind Kagome everyone knew. It was as though that girl had disappeared to be replaced by this Amazon warrior before them, and they were all in shock...Naraku included. Sango could only stare at her friend, her sister, feeling awe swell her chest, and Inuyasha's jaw had practically dropped to the ground. Only Kikyou seemed completely unaffected, as though this had been expected all along. In fact, she went so far as to smile slightly at her reincarnation, almost like a mother who approved of her child's accomplishments.

Kagome notched another arrow, her eyes never moving from where Naraku stood, and he actually seemed afraid for the first time since they'd first started fighting him nearly three years earlier. He took a few steps back, as though to escape the scene altogether, and couldn't help but allow his eyes to go wide in shock. What had happened to the girl? He'd known all along that Kagome was strong, but this...?

For her part, Kagome simply smirked cruelly and narrowed her gaze even more, for once not feeling like the weak one. Far from it...she felt invincible! And what was more, she felt no remorse for what she was about to do. It simply felt like the right thing to do. Never again, she swore to herself, would she be the victim. Never again...

"No more games," she whispered dangerously, barely loud enough for everyone to hear, and pulled the bowstring taught, back against her cheek just as Kikyou had done a few moments earlier, her body in perfect form. "I offer you no mercy, Naraku." And with that she fired the arrow straight at the heart of the man who had caused so much pain and suffering for so many thousands of souls...but most especially she fired the arrow for the one soul she loved more than anything else in the world. At long last Inuyasha would have his revenge.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**New Author's Notes:** In honor of the one year anniversary of the first chapter of 'The Confessions Trilogy' I have decided to perform a massive edit of this story, and will be going over every single chapter. Below you will find all the original author's notes from the story, because I hadn't the heart to part with them, and then beyond that the new and improved story. Maybe this will become a tradition...we'll just have to wait and see!

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_**Though not described in detail, this story does deal with rape so be warned if that sort of topic bothers you**_

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**Original Author's Notes:** Phew! That was tough! I hate writing action scenes. But I hope this chapter's long enough to appease all of you who put up with my many cliffhangers. I don't think this chapter can be considered a cliffie, but if you disagree...I'm sorry.

The story has finally crested at least one peak, and will now move on to another. So stay tuned to see what happens when they go back to Kagome's time! Thanks for reviewing, and enjoy!

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Title: Confessions of a Broken Heart

Author: dolphingirl0113

Chapter: Fourteen

Rating: PG-13 (rated for violence, language, and implied sexual situations)

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

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It was ironic that the demon Naraku, who had been the source of so much pain and suffering, left the world without so much as a scream. The arrow pierced his heart cleanly, not even drawing blood, surrounding his body in a purified pink light, and then he was simply gone, his last thought that he had chosen the wrong woman to watch in order to prevent in destruction.

Kanna vaporized into thin air shortly after he did, after all her very existence had depended on Naraku's life, and without him she was wiped from the world, the only remaining evidence of her life being small footprints in the ground.

And so, in less than a minute, a journey and battle that had taken nearly three years was over.

Inuyasha collapsed to the ground as the blade holding him against the tree disappeared, obviously having been another creation of Naraku's that required his presence to exist. He fell to his knees, his lower body aching as blood began to flow regularly through his veins once more, his head light and somewhat queasy. His neck was sore too, a bruise forming a ring around his trachea, and he put a hand up to his skin as though to make sure his head was still indeed attached to his body as he rose shakily to his feet. But his focus quickly shifted from his own discomfort over to Kagome's form, still levitating just above the ground framed in pink light, her bow and arrows golden in her hand, her eyes staring off into some world he could not see. And then he glanced at the place where Naraku had just been, glaring at them all.

Could it be true? Was he truly gone? Was the nightmare that had plagued him for over fifty three years finally over at last?

Inuyasha could hardly believe that all they had worked for was finally done, that the mission, and his revenge, were both at last fulfilled. At first he felt empty, as though he had no purpose, but then he remembered Kagome, and all the love he felt for her came flooding back in waves. He chuckled and looked at her again. He'd never expected her to be the one to deal the final devastating blow, and yet, now that he thought about it, it was almost fitting that she, the one who had been the least affected by Naraku, should be the one to kill him.

He was awed by her beauty as she floated nearby, her feet mere inches from the ground. To him, she looked like an angel surrounding by her halo of pink, clutching her golden arrows. Her face seemed to radiate light, and her eyes sparkled in a way he'd never seen before...as though she now understood more about life than she ever had before.

It was a look of pure enlightenment.

She continued to stare at the spot where Naraku had vanished, as though in some sort of trance...almost like she could still see him. No emotion flickered across her face, either victorious or remorseful, but Inuyasha did see her whisper something, her lips moving subtly, and he wondered if she was actually praying for the cruel demon lord. The thought caused him to feel bitter, but his repulsion was short lived, because he was instantly distracted when Kagome held out her hands, her palms holding her pieces of the Shikon jewel.

Everyone watched, fascinated, as a pink light, brighter even than the one that currently surrounded her body, glowed like a small sun in her hands, and Inuyasha could barely make out something forming in the center of the ball of light. Something round...

And then there was a unified gasp as the light faded and they all gazed upon the Shikon no Tama, complete once more and gleaming brightly in Kagome's hands, the ancient beaded chain hanging over the side of her palm. It looked so beautiful, especially in her possession, and Kagome seemed to glow as though from another world. Perhaps she was now...

"Kagome...?" He whispered hesitantly, not realizing he'd spoken aloud until she turned to him, her eyes suddenly filling with all the love and kindness he'd come to know so well over the past few years. It was strange how they'd only just now admitted to one another how they felt and yet, somehow, he'd always known about and come to depend on her love...that love which kept him going even in the darkest hours of his life.

"Inuyasha..." She breathed, and suddenly all her strength seemed to evaporate, as though she had finally been brought back to reality. The pink light faded, her eyes drooped in exhaustion, and she collapsed. Inuyasha rushed to her side and caught her against him roughly, falling to his knees under the impact and doing nothing to stop the silent tear from falling down his cheek. He didn't care if anyone saw...he'd been so sure that he'd lost her that now he wanted to turn and shout out to the world how much he cared, so that no one would ever forget that Inuyasha, the lowly hanyou, loved Kagome Higurashi, the most beautiful woman on earth.

The jewel had fallen from Kagome's hand, and Kikyou calmly bent over to pick it up, holding it in her hands for a moment and remembering what it had felt like when she was once its protector. It had been such a burden then...something she had been willing to die for to get rid of.

But she also found herself recalling the young woman she had once been, who'd possessed a soul pure enough to hold the jewel and watch it sparkle in her palm. She'd been innocent then, kind, and forgiving. And she'd loved a lowly hanyou, and been ashamed of that fact. "Things were so different then," she sighed so softly that even Inuyasha didn't hear.

The jewel no longer sparkled for her as it had when she was its keeper, as though saying her time as now over as it sparkled in Kagome's hands instead. Now, in her own palm, it was a deep purple...but with her reincarnation it was a healthy pink. The miko sighed and felt a wistful smile come to her face.

Inuyasha sensed Kikyou kneel beside him, and instinctively pulled Kagome closer to him before he could even realize what he was doing. But Kikyou did nothing more than smile again, a halfhearted smile that was full of melancholy and nearly broke the hanyou's heart.

"Do you honestly think that I would harm her now?" She whispered, looking away to hide her pain. She laughed softly, regretfully. "I should never have tried to harm her in the first place...not even in the beginning. She was no threat to me." Kikyou gazed upon the peaceful face of Kagome, the girl's eyes currently closed in an exhausted sleep. "She has saved my life numerous times, the foolish girl, frequently at great cost to her own life. And all I've ever done is showed her contempt."

Inuyasha blinked. "You saved her life today," he offered, and Kikyou looked at him, their eyes meeting. For just one moment they were transferred back in time fifty years, to when they'd held the hope that they could both just lead a normal life together as husband and wife.

Finally Kikyou looked away, knowing that was a memory she would just have to bury deep in her heart from now on. "I merely helped her find her way," she commented. "The rest she did on her own. The strength was in her all along, she just needed to believe and find it for herself. She truly is a powerful miko." To accent her point, the mkko took the jewel currently in her hands and placed it gently, almost reverently, around Kagome's neck, watching as the jewel instantly started to glow pink once more. Kikyou nodded. "She is its new keepier, and now Kagome won't even need the shards to pass through the well. The power of the Shikon no Tama will always be with her, from this moment forward."

Inuyasha looked up suddenly at that. "You mean...the well won't be closed now that the jewel is whole? Even if we make a wish?"

Kikyou shook her head. "I once possessed the same power, but since I am now dead the jewel does not hold the same sway over me as it once did. Kagome, on the other hand, is very much alive and as such there is no reason why she shouldn't be able to travel back and forth through the well, even if the jewel is eventually destroyed with a wish."

That caused Inuyasha to acquire a beaming smile, and he felt like a great weight was lifted from his shoulders. That had been one of their greatest obstacles, and both he and Kagome had always assumed she would be forced, in the end, to choose a side of the well to live on. He'd hated that idea, because on the one hand he hadn't wanted her to leave him, but on the other he didn't want her leaving her family for him either. This new information gave them a whole new world of possibilities.

While he silently brooded, Kikyou rose to her feet, startling him out of his reverie. He looked up at the sad miko, the woman he had once loved, and a mixture of respect and gratefulness came into his eyes. "Kikyou, where will you go now?"

She looked away. "I don't know for sure. I can't stay in one village for too long, or else they realize what I am, and that disturbs the children. I could never willingly frighten the children." She sighed. "I suppose I'll just continue to wander this world until I find a place, perhaps, someday where I can live permanently. Or maybe," she smiled sadly, "I'll gather the courage some day to just let my body die once more."

"Kikyou..."

"Please Inuyasha," she put up her hand for silence. "I don't want your pity. The fact that you will be happy is enough for me. Or, at the very least, it will be some day."

This made the hanyou feel immensely guilty. As an undead but dead person, Kikyou could never find someone else to love her for who she was. Who could, in all honesty? After all, no one enjoyed the smell of earth and soil, and how exactly could you kiss skin and lips that were so cold they burned? Because this was true, the miko would never fully be able to move on.

It was a cruel fate, to be sure, and not one he would wish on anyone, let alone the woman he'd once loved.

Kagome breathed gently into his chest, bringing him back to reality, and Inuyasha smiled. He was so grateful he had such a treasure in his life, and so thankful he had been given another chance at life. It made him have a very positive outlook on life, and he just had to believe that there was a way for Kikyou to be happy too...to have the same opportunity to start over that he'd had.

"I won't pity you, Kikyou," he finally commented, clutching Kagome's sleeping form to him tightly. "But I will tell you to be safe in your wandering, and...take care of yourself."

Kikyou smiled, and for once it was a true, genuine smile, giving him a glimpse into the past, and the woman he'd once known. "Thank you, Inuyasha," she sighed. "And be sure to protect Kagome. Never stop loving her, because it was that love which saved her in the end."

Though he wasn't quite sure what that meant, Inuyasha found himself nodding anyway, and watched in silence as the woman turned to leave, her soul stealers instantly appearing at her side, always adding a touch of mystery to her persona. She was the wandering miko now, without a home or a life to call her own. And as she slowly faded away into the darkness, out of his life forever, the hanyou found himself saying one final goodbye, never expecting to see her again.

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Kagome had been deep in thought for the past few days, ever since she'd woken up in Kaede's hut and had a chance to come to terms with everything that had happened...and everything that she had done.

Sitting on a bluff overlooking the mountains and the small valleys beyond, the sky pink with the setting sun and a gentle wind combing through her hair, she hugged her knees to her body tightly, willing her mind to relax so she could think. She'd been coming here often the past few days, needing time alone to meditate on her life, and the direction she now wanted to take with her life.

Naraku was gone. That fact alone was enough to shock her, let alone the realization that it was she who had done the ultimate dead. Even though he had been an incredibly evil man, the reality that she'd killed him still caused an excruciating amount of guilt to weigh down on her soul, and she often found herself shaking with the magnitude of her actions.

It all came down to one question. Even though he'd been evil, did she have the right to take his life? Was it up to her to decide if he lived or died? Was it anyone's right to determine the right of any creature to live? It was a question that was on her mind a lot lately, and something she couldn't quite answer for herself. Neither answer was very pleasing, because one meant that she had done something wrong, while the other made her out to be a monster because she believed that yes, she did have the right to end a person's life.

Perhaps it wouldn't have been so bad if she could simply claim amnesia, but the reality was that she remembered everything, from the moment she had been sucked into Kanna's mirror the moment when she had fallen asleep in Inuyasha's arms in the end. She remembered the cold loneliness of the dark, and the way Kikyou had, at that moment, seemed to be a beacon of hope, pulling her back to the light once more. And she also remembered the way she'd felt nothing but the desire for revenge, for blood, in the moment when she'd fired her arrow at Naraku. Was that what was called bloodlust? Was that what Inuyasha felt every time his demon blood overtook him, and what drove men like her rapist to act the way they did? She shuddered to think that she had, even for a remote moment in her life, been like that.

Her thoughts were distracted as the jewel around her neck caught the setting sun and glittered brightly, pulling her gaze away from the unending horizon. Kagome took the round ball gently between her fingers and studied it as though to press its image into her memory forever. For this object, this small thing, she and the others had hunted a man down for nearly three years. And for this seemingly insignificant thing she had killed a man. Had it been worth it in the end?

As though to answer her question, the jewel glittered again, seeming to nod its head, and Kagome was reminded of yet another dilemma she was now faced with. As the new guardian of the Shikon no Tama, it was her responsibility to decide what its fate would be, which meant, in other words, that it was up to her to determine what wish would be made.

It had to be a pure wish, with no hidden motives or selfish intentions, and she honestly didn't know if that kind of wish existed. After all, didn't all wishes, to some extent, contain a certain amount of selfishness? Wasn't that why wishes were made in the first place, because someone wanted something?

Thinking about the jewel caused Kagome to think about its previous protectors, and what they would have done in her situation, which inevitably led to her thinking about one protector, one woman, in particular. The one woman she didn't want to think about at that moment. "Kikyou..." She whispered, and closed her eyes in pain.

She still felt like she'd stolen something from the dead miko, the woman to whom she literally owed her very soul, something that wasn't rightfully hers. Unlike Kikyou and Inuyasha, Kagome had been born 500 years apart from her lover, and in reality had no claim other than lucky chance for meeting him at all.

But did that necessarily mean that she had no right to be with him either?

Inuyasha had told her everything that Kikyou had said that first day after she'd woken up, including the fact that she could now travel through the well without the need of a Shikon shard. Kagome had been doubtful, but at the same time did not believe that the miko would have said such a thing if it weren't true. She may have been cruel to her incarnation at times, but a liar the priestess Kikyou was not.

Unfortunately, Inuyasha had also told her how things had been left between them, and it drove home the fact that Kikyou was now all alone in the world, with no hope of a new life or a new love, instead being cursed by an existence that required the souls of dead girls to live. Kagome shook her head and a tear rolled down her cheek. That was no way to live, especially for someone who had lived as nobly and honorably as Kikyou had in life.

As she thought more about it, the jewel glittered again, as though trying to tell her something, and Kagome studied it closely, enraptured by its beauty. Finally, after several minutes, a smile broke out across her face, and she knew, at long last, what she wanted to do.

Rising to her feet, she practically flew back down the hill and into the village, her feet barely touching the ground as she ran up to Kaede's hut, where she saw Inuyasha chasing Shippou around a large tree, obviously angry about something. But then, when was the hanyou ever not angry with the little kitsune?

"Inuyasha!" She called out to him, but he didn't seem to hear her as Shippou was yelling protests louder than ever. He didn't seem to be aware of her either. With a sigh of frustration, she put her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes. "Sit!"

Inuyasha instantly face planted, and Kagome had no doubt he knew where she was now, the argument with Shippou completely forgotten.

Ignoring the glare he sent in her direction as he muttered profanities into the dirt, Kagome smiled and knelt beside him. "Inuyasha," her voice was kind, "Would you be able to find Kikyou for me?"

His eyes opened wide in surprise, and his jaw dropped to the ground (once he'd finally managed to lift his head). Obviously he hadn't been expecting that question...not that she could blame him. "Can I what?"

"Can you find Kikyou for me?"

"Kagome," He stood up and playfully put a hand to her forehead. "Are you feeling okay today? Should you go in and take a nap or something, or maybe take some of that medicine stuff from your time?"

She rolled her eyes and glared at him, causing the hanyou to step back and hold up his hands. "I'm fine, okay, so why can't you just answer the damn question!"

Inuyasha brushed himself off lightly before returning her furious gaze with a cocky smile. "Sure I can find her, but only if you promise to watch your mouth from now on." He winked and wagged a finger at her in mock disapproval. "The last thing we need around here is to have you sounding like me."

His playful mood was contagious, and Kagome felt her anger dissipate instantly as she saw him smile. In the end, she wound up hugging him tightly about the waist, her cheek pressed to his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her close as he took a deep whiff of her hair. Kagome sighed. This is what she had wanted from the beginning, she realized...and now she couldn't get enough of her hanyou.

"I'll go find her," he finally added, "But it could take a while."

"I don't care."

"You are strange." He pulled back with a small chuckle and planted a light kiss on her forehead. "But Kagome, you have to tell me why you want to see her. I mean, it's not like you two have all that much to talk about."

Kagome sighed. "Just trust me when I say it's something I need to do, alright? Consider it my way of saying thanks to her."

He gave her a puzzled stare, but finally nodded and shrugged his shoulders. "Alright," he turned and started running away, yelling over his shoulder as he did so. "I'll be back as soon as I can!"

Kagome nodded and watched him go, knowing that a stupid smile was on her face form when he'd kissed her. She couldn't have gotten rid of the expression if she'd wanted to...and she didn't.

"Well, somebody looks positively smitten," a familiar female voice sounded from behind, and Kagome smiled brightly as she turned to see Sango and Miroku walking toward her. The monk was still forced to lean heavily on Sango's strong shoulders to get around, the poison having been incredibly strong, but Kaede assured everyone that he would recover, and besides, Sango didn't seem to mind anyway.

"So Sango, I've been wondering," Kagome thought out loud, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Since Naraku is dead, when are you two planning on having your wedding? After all, since I'm in it I think I have a right to know."

At that Sango and Miroku both blushed, which surprised Kagome since the monk never blushed about anything, and Sango was the one who replied shyly. "Actually, we haven't thought that far ahead yet." She glanced at Miroku. "I think we just want some time to be together first and get used to being a couple, you know? And besides, I want to find Kohaku and see if he's still alive." The shadow was only slight before passing over the exterminator's face entirely, but Kagome knew that her friend was still horribly worried about her younger brother, and could never fully commit herself to a man, even Miroku, and a new life until she knew what had become of Kohaku.

"Sounds good to me," Kagome finally replied cheerfully, trying to break the somber mood that had suddenly fallen down around them. She glanced at the monk. "And how are you feeling these days, Miroku?"

He smiled. "Much better, thank you for asking Kagome...though I intend to use my weakness to its full advantage in order to be closer to Sango at all times, for I fear once I am well again she shall ignore me." He commented bluntly and gave both women a fake pout, to which Sango responded by slapping his arm playfully.

"If you truly believe that, Miroku," she scolded teasingly, "Than you don't know me very well." Miroku blushed at the feel of her breath on his skin, very close to his ear, and it made him think of other, much more personal ways he could get to know his bride to be. It made him suddenly want to get well as fast as possible.

* * *

It took him two days, but finally Kagome saw Inuyasha come into the village carrying Kikyou on his back. The jealously in her stomach only lasted an instant upon seeing the miko in what was usually her place, and Kagome reminded herself silently that she had asked to meet with her incarnation this time as she put a smile on her face, hoping she seemed pleasant enough. That was all she needed; to seem bitter towards Kikyou even now when she had, in all honesty, won the rivalry.

The two women moved towards one another, and all the villagers watched them closely, whispering about the return of their Lady Kikyou and suddenly feeling very confused over which woman they should approach out of respect. It made Kagome feel the need to go somewhere more secluded, without all the prying eyes, and she gave Kikyou a meaningful look, indicating the woods. "Kikyou, would you come with me? I need to talk to you alone."

The woman barely hesitated before nodding, but Kagome didn't miss the hint of confusion on her face. No doubt she was as confused as to why Kagome had asked for her presence as Inuyasha was. They'd been rivals for so long...old habits just didn't go away fast enough.

As they both turned and headed for the forest, Kagome called over her shoulder, "We'll be back shortly Inuyasha," And then they disappeared.

The woods were quiet and serene, and once she was sure they were far enough away from the village to avoid prying eyes and eavesdropping ears, Kagome turned to face Kikyou, who, up until that point, had merely been following her. "I know what I want to do with the jewel," she said solemnly, trying to match the older miko's stoic expression.

Kikyou blinked in surprise. This is what the girl had brought her back for? This is why Kagome had sent Inuyasha to track her down from village to village? To tell her the fate of the jewel? At this point, Kikyou hardly cared...it was no longer her problem.

She must have had a harsh look, because Kagome winced slightly, but sucked in a breath and started speaking rapidly, fiddling with the jewel around her neck as she spoke. "Fifty years ago you and Inuyasha had your youth and innocence stolen." She looked down, feeling suddenly shy, as she always did in the presence of this great woman. "It was unfair and cruel of Naraku to steal that from you, especially when you two were tricked into betraying one another. But now Inuyasha has been given another chance because you could not bring yourself to kill him that day fifty years ago, instead preserving him against the Goshinboku with a sealed arrow, where I found him when I stumbled into the past."

It was always painful to relive that day, and Kikyou found herself growing impatient as she looked away with a frustrated sigh. "You called me back here to recap my life, Kagome?"

The girl before her blushed and looked down at her feet. "No."

"Then why am I here?"

"Because while you saved Inuyasha that day, no one saved you, Kikyou."

At that the miko couldn't help but blink in surprise and allow herself to look at her reincarnation once more. She hadn't been expecting that. "Go on."

Kagome nodded. "You died that day, Kikyou, sacrificing yourself honorably in order to destroy the Shikon no Tama. But then you were cruelly brought back to life by an evil witch, your body now made out of clay and your soul containing only hate for the man you had once loved. And..." She blushed. "You suddenly had to deal with me, your reincarnation, a reminder that you were no longer one of the living as I had the better half of your soul. I was in your face and stealing the man that you loved. I...I'm sorry to have caused you so much pain."

The girl lapsed into silence once more, but this time, rather than snap, Kikyou forced herself to wait patiently for the rest of her speech, sensing the important part was still to come.

She was right, because Kagome continued after a few moments. "I feel you deserve a second chance as much as anyone, Kikyou. And that's why," Kagome pulled the jewel up and off her neck, holding it in her hands, both women watching as it glittered bright pink, "I...I want to grant you your life back, so that you can have a chance to fall in love again and still raise a family and live a normal life, just like you once told Inuyasha you always wanted."

"You..." Kikyou swallowed, trying to regain her bearings. "You want to wish for me to be alive again?"

Kagome nodded. "Yes. It's a pure enough wish, because I am giving you the jewel for unselfish reasons. I will gain nothing from this, other than fulfillment in my heart knowing that I helped you in some way after all that you've done for me."

"All that I..." The miko couldn't believe she'd just said that. "Kagome, I've done nothing but hurt you since the moment I was resurrected from my grave. I've tried to kill you, I've tried to trap you on the other side of the well, and what's worse...I've tortured you by dangling Inuyasha out on a chain, enjoying watching him wriggle in discomfort, not knowing who he should love. For that I'll never forgive myself..."

"But don't you understand that I forgive you for all that?" Kagome demanded, feeling her temper shorten slightly. "I'm tired of dwelling in the past, Kikyou. The reality is that you saved me...twice. First, right after my rape, you gave me the words I needed to hear most, and helped kick me out of the rut I'd found myself in. Then, when Kanna had me trapped in her mirror, you pulled me out and back to reality so that I could fight for those I love. Without you, I would have been lost forever." She looked up and met the miko's eyes fiercely. "I owe you my life, and this will make me feel more content."

Kikyou stared at the jewel again for several moments of silence, the pink ball reflecting in her eyes. The possibility of being alive again was a tantalizing prospect. Up until that moment, she had not dared to hope that she could ever life normally again, assuming that she had no other option besides roaming the world, lonely and unable to fit in anywhere ever again. But now, Kagome offered her the precious wish that so many sought...

"Why...?" She found herself asking again, her voice wavering, her eyes still trained on the jewel.

Kagome's eyes softened. "Because, like I said, you deserve to be happy as much as Inuyasha and anyone else in this world, Kikyou. Unless you'd rather wander this earth and watch the passage of time as a mere bystander, never changing, stuck as you are for eternity..."

Kikyou frowned, not liking the idea at all. But again, up until that moment she'd thought that was all there was.

"Please, Kikyou," Kagome insisted, "It would make me feel better if you let me do this last thing for you."

The miko grunted at that. "And what have you ever done to feel bad where I am concerned, Kagome?" Kikyou retorted, not meaning to sound as bitter as she did.

Kagome winced slightly, and returned once more to having the look of a young, naïve girl who desperately wanted her mentor's approval. "I've made your life miserable by coming between you and Inuyasha, and while I don't regret loving him, or he loving me in return, I am sorry for being the cause of your broken heart."

The miko wanted to smile sardonically, to shake Kagome by the shoulders and tell her that she'd had a broken heart long before they'd ever even met, but decided not to, instead settling for a half-hearted answer that only explained some part of the truth. "That's an awfully big burden to place on yourself, Kagome." It was the closest she could come to admitting that there were many other reasons for her unhappiness in the world.

Kagome shook her head, as though humoring a child, and then, without waiting for another sign of approval, walked up and placed the jewel in Kikyou's hands, curling the woman's fingers over the smooth round ball. "I want you to wish for your life back, Kikyou," she said gently, and released the miko's hands, turning to walk away.

A thought occurred to her, and before she could resist, Kikyou blurted out what was on her mind. "You trust me to wish for my life? I could wish for any number of things...your death, or for Inuyasha to forget you..."

Kagome froze and turned, her eyes soft as she gazed back at Kikyou, seeing in the older woman's eyes not cruelty or malice, but a genuine amount of confusion. Kikyou truly couldn't understand why someone would trust her so wholly and completely, and it suddenly leveled the playing field, and Kagome no longer saw them as so different; they each had their faults, and their strengths. Her strength was the ability to forgive and forget. "I know you won't," she replied simply, and walked away.

Inuyasha was waiting for her where she had left him, leaning against a tree, his head bent and his eyes closed, lost in thought. She thought about all the times she'd come across him before in that very pose, and stopped to admire his silent beauty. But he caught her scent, and his head instantly snapped up, his amber eyes coming to life as he smiled happily. He noticed the absence of Kikyou, and frowned.

"Where's...?"

"I gave Kikyou the jewel so that she could wish for her life back," Kagome interrupted, explaining herself before he jumped to the wrong conclusion. The last thing she needed was him believing that she had murdered his former lover. "I feel it was the only wish I could make that would truly make someone happy." She shrugged. "Now she can move on with her life...just like you have."

Inuyasha stared at her in shocked disbelief for several seconds, unable to process what Kagome had just said. She had given Kikyou her life back...? Using the Shikon no Tama...? Then, like a key fitting into a lock, it all clicked, and he pulled her quickly and tightly into her arms, kissing her face with dozens of feather light kisses. "I love you, you incredibly wonderful, kind, forgiving woman." He hugged her tightly to his chest, and she smiled.

It was so heartfelt that Kagome couldn't resist the tears that came to her eyes as she put her arms around his waist, and they stood together for several minutes before she finally pulled back. "Come on, Inuyasha," she said, smiling and taking his hand in her own, loving the fact that he closed his fingers over hers without hesitation now. "I want to go home for a while, and I want you to come with me...if you don't mind."

Inuyasha blushed, unaccustomed to such forward openness about their feelings, but readily accepted her offer, grateful that she wanted him to be around to protect her if needed. He nodded and returned the squeeze of her hand, and together they headed towards the well, both feeling at peace with one another at last. One battle had finally ended, and now there was just one more before they could both truly move on to the next chapter in their lives completely.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**New Author's Notes:** In honor of the one year anniversary of the first chapter of 'The Confessions Trilogy' I have decided to perform a massive edit of this story, and will be going over every single chapter. Below you will find all the original author's notes from the story, because I hadn't the heart to part with them, and then beyond that the new and improved story. Maybe this will become a tradition...we'll just have to wait and see!

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_**   
Though not described in detail, this story does deal with rape so be warned if that sort of topic bothers you**_

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**   
Original Author's Notes:** Okay, so maybe I lied a little when I said there would be no more cliffhangers, but please don't hurt me, this chapter is FULL of fluff so I think that will make everyone happy. 

I'm going to take a moment and answer some of the questions, or respond to some of the points that you reviewers have made. If you don't want to read this, just skip over it and you won't hurt my feelings.

First off, my opinion is that since Kagome is Kikyou's reincarnation she won't die if Kikyou does come back to life because Kagome is from the future and eventually Kikyou does die and lose her soul. Maybe that's not how the show would have it, but logically I think that makes sense, thus it works to have Kikyou come back to life in the past.

Second, I just have to say this: I'm not a Kikyou hater, and for those of you who read my first fanfic, 'Out of the Darkenss', you'll see some very similar portrayals of the miko in that story as well as this one. But at the same time, I am a firm believer in the pair Kagome and Inuyasha, so I do NOT read any fics where either gets together with someone else. Sorry, I just can't handle it because I don't think that's reality. For instance, I don't think Inuyasha would just blow off Kagome for Kikyou in the end and treat her like dirt just because she no longer needed to find the jewel shards. He loves her too much!

That's it for my ranting, so I guess this note isn't as long as I thought it would be. Be warned that this chapter is full of fluff, but I just felt like I needed to do that for once. And don't get upset with all the 'Romeo and Juliet' lines, just bear with me. It's one of my favorite plays ever, and I think the language is just beautiful, so I can't help but include it in my story.

Okay, I'll let you all move on to the next chapter. The story is starting to wind down, and I don't forsee anymore then about three chapters to go at the most...and I do mean the very most. But for now, it's not over yet! Enjoy, and thanks for all the reviews!

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Title: Confessions of a Broken Heart 

Author: dolphingirl0113

Chapter: Fifteen

Rating: PG-13 (rated for violence, language, and implied sexual situations)

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

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Kagome loved the fact that the first thing she saw upon returning to her era was the walls of the ancient well house. It always brought a smile to her face, and reminded her that she was home at last. She glanced up as Inuyasha offered her his hand, and felt him pull her up to the main floor, feeling her legs start to return to normal after their journey across time. 

For a moment Kagome stopped and looked back at the well, furrowing her brow. This time it had been different, as though she were actually a part of the magic around her, rather than merely the traveler. So Kikyou had been right after all, she thought to herself as she turned and walked out into the courtyard to be met with the sight of Tokyo framed by the colors of dusk.

All the lights in her house were on, and Kagome could see her mother through the kitchen window washing dishes in the sink, her arms submerged in soap. Despite her nearly eighteen years, Kagome felt a thrill of excitement at seeing the woman, and took off at a run even faster then normal...after all, this time she had wonderful news for her mother.

The sound of the evening news on the television greeted her as she opened the door, Inuyasha close behind, and Kagome could see Souta's socks around the corner in the living room, accompanied by the sound of her grandfather's voice as the old man did his usual commentary on the goings on of the world.

Taking a deep breath and preparing herself for the usual onslaught of questions that always came when she returned home, Kagome found herself taking Inuyasha's hand for support before calling out loudly, "Mama, I'm home!"

There was an instant sound of rustling clothes before the television was turned off completely, and Souta appeared in the hallway dressed in a pair of blue shorts and a striped white and blue shirt. It was obvious he was immersed in his usual battle of wills, trying to decide whether or not it was acceptable for younger brothers to even hug their sisters, but finally he gave up and threw his arms around her anyway. Kagome smiled and rested her hands on his shoulders fondly as she saw her grandfather appear with his usual thoughtful expression, his eyes twinkling upon seeing his granddaughter alive and well.

"Have we missed dinner?" Kagome finally asked, pulling away from Souta and breaking the strange but comfortable silence in the hallway. She could feel Inuyasha blushing beside her, and she figured he was probably uncomfortable now around her family, unsure of exactly how he fit into the scene as a whole. As her boyfriend did things change? It was a reasonable question, and one Kagome didn't have an answer for...yet...

"I just put the food on the stove, so it should be ready in about twenty minutes," Mrs. Higurashi announced from the kitchen, the sound of clanging pots and pans accenting her point. Kagome grinned and moved to help her mother, leaving Inuyasha to stand alone under the scrutiny of both Kagome's brother and grandfather, who had noticed the fact that the couple had been holding hands only a moment before.

He gulped.

Upon seeing her daughter, Mrs. Higurashi felt her face warm and her eyes sparkle as she smiled. She always worried, even with Inuyasha around to protect Kagome, every time Kagome traveled to the other side of the well. It had nothing to do with the fact that she didn't trust her daughter to take care of herself...far from it...she just didn't understand what happened.

But her relief instantly faded as her sharp mother's eyes noticed that something was different between her daughter and the young hanyou who was seemingly always with her. Mrs. Higurashi raised an eyebrow as Inuyasha walked into the kitchen to join Kagome, and observed the fact that he was looking at her in a different, more open way. And even Kagome seemed more relaxed in his presence then she'd ever been before. But the biggest hint of all, the older woman thought with a knowing smile, was the way the hanyou instantly put his arm protectively around Kagome's waist. She would have to talk to her daughter about this new development.

"Mama," Kagome interrupted her thoughts, and the woman blinked. "I have something important to tell you." The girl's voice was extremely excited. "Can we sit down and talk?"

"Of course," The older woman wiped her hands off on her apron and all three went over to sit at the dining room table, Mrs. Higurashi sitting on one side and Inuyasha sticking like glue to Kagome on the other. He didn't want to leave her side, but this time it wasn't because he feared for her safety. It was because he feared the probing questions of the other two men still out in the hall.

Taking a deep breath, Kagome folded her hands before her on the table. "Mama, you know the man I told you about? The man called Naraku, who we've been fighting over in Inuyasha's time?"

"Yes."

"Well, he's, um...he's dead now, mama. He's dead and the battle is over."

Again the older woman felt her mother's intuition pick up on the fact that there was something strange about Kagome's voice when she said the words 'he's dead', but she let it drop for the moment, deciding that was not the moment to push the matter any further. Instead, she allowed her immense relief to overwhelm her face, her features relaxing. "That's wonderful, Kagome. So what does this mean now?"

"Um," Kagome blushed and started fiddling with her hair as she glanced at Inuyasha, "Actually we're not really sure yet what this means."

"We?" Mrs. HIgurashi adopted a knowing smile, and Kagome had the distinct impression that the elder woman knew exactly what was going on. The thought was rather intimidating.

"Inuyasha and I..." She stopped, unsure of how to continue. There was so much to say. "I will still be going back to his time so that I can be with my friends, and with him," she finally said, deciding not to delve too much into the fact that it was mostly for him that she would be returning. "But I won't have to be gone as often any more, so school should get somewhat easier."

Inuyasha grunted at that, and both women turned to look at him. At first he didn't realize he'd made any sort of noise but then, when he realized they were staring at him, he blushed and looked instantly at the ground, muttering something about the fact that she hadn't been gone that often before. Kagome could only smile tenderly and look back at her mother after a few more seconds of observing his profile.

"I see," Mrs. Higurashi commented, saving her daughter from any more embarrassing moments. "So I take it Inuyasha's your boyfriend now?" The young couple looked up, somewhat shocked at the question, but didn't deny it for once, and that was all the older woman needed to know she was right. "Of course, I understand," Mrs. Higurashi said, once again smoothing over the uncomfortable moment.

A long silence followed, filling the room and making everything seem to expand before finally Mrs. Higurashi rose to her feet and smiled, warmth exuding from her like a light bulb. "I'd best get some dinner on the table then, so you two can eat and go to bed. No doubt you're exhausted. And," She gave Kagome a meaningfully look that only a mother could possibly give, pointing her finger warningly, "You are going to school tomorrow, young lady."

* * *

It was strange how easily Kagome could slip back into her old routine. It was only her first day back at school, and yet she felt herself relaxing into what had once been her life, before the well and Inuyasha and Naraku had taken her on her wild adventure. Of course, there was one major exception, and that was Inuyasha was now with her everywhere she went. He'd insisted on taking her to school himself, and then, after every class, would meet her on the roof for just a few minutes before she would head to her next class. It felt surprisingly good to be able to say, with confidence, that she had a boyfriend, and know that it wasn't a lie. As a result, Kagome found herself wearing a beaming smile everywhere she went, causing several people to send her curious looks as she passed by. 

"You're saying that two-timer you've been talking about for so long is finally going steady with you?" one of her friends, Yuka, asked while at lunch.

Kagome smiled and blushed slightly, recalling the feeling of his lips as he'd given her a kiss only an hour before. Her mouth still burned. "Yeah," she finally replied with a smug expression, "I think we've finally reached a new level in our relationship." She bit into her sandwich.

The rest of the day went by easily enough, and everyone commented on the fact that she seemed to be doing much better, coming up and telling her they believed it was good she had taken some time off for herself, considering what had happened to her.

Normally the fact that people kept bringing up her rape would have caused Kagome to feel very uncomfortable but, for once, she was just so thrilled that her grandfather had used a legitimate reason for her being gone that she didn't care. All she did was smile and nod whenever anyone said something, and continued about her day.

The final bell rang at last, and Kagome jumped up excitedly, wanting to do nothing more then spend the afternoon with Inuyasha. As she was walking out the door, however, she bumped into someone, and looked up to find Hojo staring at her with his usual big, bright eyes and beaming, naïve smile.

"Hojo!" Her voice could not hide her surprise...or, she had to admit, annoyance...but he didn't seem to care. As always.

"Higurashi! I'm so glad you're back at school," He exclaimed happily. "I've missed seeing one of my best friends!"

Kagome blushed at that, and was at least thankful that he hadn't said she was his girlfriend this time. She never knew how far away Inuyasha was, and if he'd overheard that, he would have wasted no time coming and slicing the poor boy in half with tetsusaiga. "Yeah," she finally laughed off his comment, "I guess I just needed some time off. I think I'm finally getting back to feeling normal again."

"That's wonderful. You know, you do look better, your smile is more like the old Kagome I know so well." He smiled again. "So, are you coming back to play practice today?"

"Play practice!" Kagome felt her heart sink at the thought. She had completely forgotten about the school's production of 'Romeo and Juliet', and frankly now that she was just starting her own relationship at long last, she didn't much feel like playing one out on stage. But she did have an obligation, so she nodded finally, quickly putting up her hand to stop him when he moved to take her by the arm and lead her to the auditorium. "But I have to go and do something first. I'll meet you there, okay?"

He seemed slightly confused by her actions, not understanding what she could possibly be needing to do, but he finally nodded and smiled again. "Alright then, I'll see you there!"

Kagome sighed dejectedly as he walked away and turned to head for the roof, where Inuyasha would be waiting to take her home. Or so he thought...

"What! Why do you have to do this stupid play-thing anyway?" Inuyasha crossed his arms, standing up tall and firm. "You should be going home and resting!" He nodded to accent his point.

"You mean I should be spending more time with you," Kagome teased, trying to make light of the situation, and the hanyou blushed, looking away. At least she'd gotten him to stop yelling.

They were currently on the roof, blue skies above, the trees blowing slightly in the wind, enjoying the pleasant afternoon. Kagome had just told him that she would not be going home yet like they'd expected, and Inuyasha, as usual, had been upset by the notion.

He finally turned to Kagome. "I'll just have to come and watch."

She blinked a few times in surprise before replying. "But you don't have your hat or anything..."

He growled at that, and she stopped speaking. "Give me a little more credit then that, stupid," he scolded gently as he pulled the rumpled baseball cap out from his large robes, placing it lopsidedly on his head. Kagome smiled, but he just frowned some more in return. "Your mom said you might have to stay longer, so I figured I should carry this just in case."

She was positively beaming at that point, knowing he'd thought of that because of her, and Kagome made a mental note to thank her mother as well when she finally got home. "Okay then," she took his hand, "Let's go. But don't get mad at me if you get really bored!"

The hanyou just rolled his eyes in response and put an arm around her waist protectively. Kagome leaned into it, and thought about how strange it was that only a few weeks ago such intimacy wouldn't have even been possible between them, and now it seemed like the most natural thing in the world. Perhaps, at the very least, one good thing had come out of her rape after all; it had brought Inuyasha closer to her.

There were still several students milling about in the halls as the pair came back down the stairs from the roof, and they all stopped, especially the girls, to watch the strange couple head towards the auditorium. Kagome spotted her nosy friends, Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi among them, and could read their thoughts like an open book, knowing they were wondering if this was the man she had talked about so much. If this was the famous two-timer.

For his part, Inuyasha seemed unaffected by the unabashed staring directed at him, acknowledging only Kagome's presence as they walked. Kagome admired him for it, and felt warm and safe with his arm around her, pulling her along. But then, she also reminded herself, he was no doubt used to all the staring. All she had to do was remember the looks he would receive from curious villagers back in the Feudal Era to prove her point.

Finally they made it down the hall and through the auditorium doors to find Mrs. Dun waiting for them on stage with Hojo at her side. The teacher smiled politely at Inuyasha and gave him a brief nod of her head, but the hanyou wasn't even looking at her. All his attention was on the brown-haired boy at her side, standing casually with one foot slightly ahead of the other, reading over his script.

So this was the boy, he thought to himself, who had found Kagome the morning after she was raped. The hanyou growled. This was the boy who let Kagome walk home in the first place.

Hearing his growl, and feeling the vibration reverberate down his arm and subsequently onto her own skin, Kagome had to stifle a groan of annoyance. She'd known that eventually this moment would come, where Inuyasha and Hojo would meet, and now all she could hope for was that Inuyasha kept his wits and temper in check and didn't do anything stupid...like pull out tetsusaiga, which was sheathed at his waist, hidden beneath his large red robes.

"I'm so glad you're Back, Kagome," Mrs. Dun commented cheerfully, seemingly oblivious to the tension suddenly in the room. "I trust that you're doing better?"

Kagome nodded in greeting and smiled, dumping her yellow backpack casually on one of the chairs and fishing out her script, which was wrinkled and creased along the spine. "You can just sit here," she whispered to Inuyasha as she zipped up her bag, and he nodded and obeyed, sitting down in another seat to watch as Kagome walked up and joined Hojo on the stage.

"Kagome," Mrs. Dun seemed slightly nervous, "Do you think that you're up to rehearsing the balcony scene today?" She paused, as though trying to gage the girl's reaction, and then pushed ahead with her train of thought quickly. "I know it's somewhat personal, and attached to less than desirable memories, but, well, we've only gone over it a few times, so I think it really needs to be rehearsed."

Everyone watched Kagome carefully, including Inuyasha, and were very surprised when, instead of blanching white or looking suddenly nervous like before, the girl remained passive and calm, nodding her head calmly. It surprised even her when no horrible memories of that night returned, and yet, somehow, it was expected, because Kagome knew that ever since her encounter with Naraku she hadn't felt nearly so helpless or vulnerable. True, it would always be a painful memory, but it wasn't staggering and life-altering like it had once been.

"I'm fine," she finally replied aloud, confirming what her nod a few seconds earlier had meant.

Mrs. Dun heaved a sigh of relief, a great weight seeming to lift from her shoulders, and smiled. "Wonderful! Then why don't you head up to the balcony and we'll get started!"

Kagome nodded and ascended the ladder behind the fake 'balcony', reaching the top and placing herself on the small platform that was supposed to be leading back into Juliet's bedroom. Unfortunately, unlike Shakespeare's reality, if she took one wrong step she'd go crashing to her back on the ground, and so Kagome found herself gripping the makeshift rail before her for support. She noticed that the set designers had also finished constructing the trees, and placed one very close to her balcony, which Hojo would climb eventually, when Romeo and Juliet would...

Oh shit!

Kagome felt her eyes fly open as a horrible realization came to her, and she suddenly wished she hadn't agreed to do this scene. Damn it all, she and Hojo were supposed to kiss! How would Inuyasha take that? Would he understand that it was just acting, or did they even have such things in his time?

A formidable lump rose in her throat, and Kagome forcefully swallowed it down, waiting behind the small curtain that blocked her from the sight of the audience, until the moment when she was supposed to make her entrance, hoping and praying with all her might for the hanyou to understand.

Steeling herself as she realized that she'd have no hope of accomplishing anything if she continued to worry, Kagome focused instead on the words spoken by the boys playing Benvolio and Mercutio, reciting their lines as they wondered aloud where their friend and cousin Romeo could have gone. And then, finally, she heard Hojo approach and say her cue.

"_He jests at scars that never felt a wound."_

Kagome sucked in a deep breath and stepped out onto the actual balcony, feeling suddenly very self-conscious with Inuyasha watching her intently from the audience chairs. She forced herself to remain focused as she stared straight ahead, listening to Hojo's words.

"_But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?   
__It is the east and Juliet is the sun!   
__Arise fair sun and kill the envious moon   
__Who is already sick and pale with grief   
__That thou her maiden art far more fair than she."_

Why Kagome ever thought he'd be bored, Inuyasha thought to himself, he had no idea. He found himself fascinated by the strange yet beautiful flowing language, even though some of it was in a style he could not fully comprehend.

He'd quickly realized that Kagome was the beautiful Juliet that Hobo kept referring to in his speech, which meant that the brown-haired youth must be Romeo. Inuyasha cared not, so long as nothing bad happened, and found himself ignoring the boy completely as he instead trained his eyes on Kagome, who he thought looked absolutely beautiful where she stood on the balcony, for all the world seeming oblivious to what was going on around her as she spoke for the first time.

"_Ay me."_

"_She speaks.   
__O speak again bright angel, for thou art   
__As glorious to this night, being o'er my head,   
__As is a winged messenger of heaven."_

Inuyasha had been so excited when he thought Kagome was about to start speaking that he found himself growling in frustration as Hobo interrupted her to speak again. Who the hell cared? He wanted to hear Kagome's lines! But he held his tongue, figuring Kagome wouldn't appreciate it very much if he made a fool of himself. And besides, he noted, she didn't seem to mind, so maybe, after all, that was how it was supposed to be.

Finally, to his delight, she began to speak, her voice melodic as the poetry flowed off her tongue like warm water, and he wanted to melt.

"_O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?   
__Deny thy father and refuse thy name.   
__Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love   
__And I'll no longer be a Capulet."_

"_Shall I hear more or shall I speak at this?"_

"_Tis but thy name that is my enemy:   
__Thou are thyself, though not a Montague.   
__What's Montague? It is nor hand nor foot   
__Nor arm nor face nor any other part   
__Belonging to a man. O be some other name.   
__What's in a name? That which we call a rose   
__By any other word would smell as sweet;   
__So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd,   
__Retain that dear perfection which he owes   
__Without that title. Romeo doff thy name,   
__And for that name, which is no part of thee,   
__Take all myself."_

Despite everything, including the fact that this was the scene she had rehearsed the night she was raped, Kagome absolutely loved that passage, and could never get enough of it. It was the first few lines of Shakespeare she had ever memorized completely, and as she finished speaking she found herself meeting Inuyasha's eyes, tingling as he gave her an encouraging smile.

Hojo, oblivious to what was happening, simply continued on with his own lines, suddenly sounding very excited.

"_I take thee at thy word.   
__Call me but love, and I'll be new baptis'd:   
__Henceforth, I never will be Romeo."_

Feigning utter shock, Kagome allowed herself to gasp as she 'realized' Hojo had heard everything she'd just said, and whirled around, careful not to fall off the balcony, to meet his gaze, pretending to not know who he was.

"_What man art thou that thus bescreen'd in night   
__So stumblest on my counsel?"_

"_By a name   
__I know not how to tell thee who I am:   
__My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself   
__Because it is an enemy to thee.   
__Had I it written, I would tear the word."_

Fake recognition dawned on Kagome's face, and Inuyasha watched, fascinated by the exchange taking place between her and Hojo. She truly was a wonderful actress, he decided, noting how real all her emotions appeared, but then his body went rigid as the scene became more and more romantic.

As a scowl formed on his face, Kagome felt the lump in her throat return, and she knew he was sensing something big was coming as the lines became more intimate and tender, and as Hojo began to climb the tree so that he would be at her level. She prayed again that he wouldn't be angry with her.

"_Lady, by yonder blessed moon I vow,   
__That tips with silver all these fruit-tree tops..."_

"_O swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon,   
__That monthly changes in her circled orb,   
__Lest that thy love prove likewise variable."_

Hojo was drawing closer up the tree, and Kagome visibly swallowed as he continued to speak.

"_What shall I swear by?"_

"_Do not swear at all.   
Or if thou wilt, swear by thy gracious self,   
__And I'll believe thee."_

He was now at her eye-level, gazing at her intently, and without meaning to Kagome felt herself start shaking, no longer with fear, but with nervous anticipation. She swallowed again, and felt her face pale slightly.

"Kagome!" The scene was broken as Mrs. Dun spoke, and Kagome couldn't help but feel slightly relieved that the inevitable had been prolonged for a few more minutes. "You need to look a little more excited. Remember, Romeo is the love of your life...not just some fling that will only last a few weeks. You're destined to be together. Shakespeare's infamous star-crossed lovers. I want to see that. Remember that you would rather die than live without him."

Without meaning to, Kagome looked out at Inuyasha for approval, and their eyes met. He regarded her for several tense seconds, but finally, subtly, nodded his head slightly, and she heaved a sigh of relief knowing that he understood what was happening and wouldn't be angry with her. At least...he wouldn't be too angry.

Returning to look at Hojo, she proceeded with her lines.

"_Good night, good night. As sweet repose and rest   
__Come to thy heart as that within my breast."_

"_O wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?"_

"_What satisfaction canst thou have tonight?"   
_

"_The exchange of thy love's faithful vow for mine."_

"_I gave thee mine before thou didst request it,   
__And yet I would it were to give again."_

Hojo drew nearer, and Kagome willed herself to remain still as their lips were now separated by mere inches as she spoke. Pushing aside her nervousness, she firmed her resolve, and in the audience Inuyasha gripped the arms of his char so tightly that his claws managed to puncture the undersides.

"_Wouldst thou withdraw it? For what purpse, love?"_

"_But to be frank and give it thee again."_

That was his cue, and he kissed her, his lips softly pressing against her own, and Kagome felt, surprisingly...nothing. No warm pool in her belly, no tingling sensation, just the reality that his lips were on hers. It served as a reminder of who she really loved, and Kagome steeled herself against pulling away.

Inuyasha just bit his tongue and crossed his arms, growling slightly as Kagome finally pulled away and spoke again. Did they have to kiss for that long? She had some explaining to do...

They rehearsed the scene nearly four times before the evening was over, and Kagome could only sigh in relief when Mrs. Dun finally, after nearly four hours, said that they could be done for the day, calling out a reminder as she left the stage that opening night was in a week.

Inuyasha looked like Shippou after one of his tantrums, with his arms crossed and his face set in a pout as he refused to look at her, and Kagome frowned as she picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulders. She didn't like the fact that he looked so hurt...so betrayed...but tried to think positively as she reminded herself that he could have been yelling at her instead.

And yet, for some reason, the silent treatment was much worse.

"Are you ready to go home?" She asked cheerfully, and he looked up as though he had only just noticed her presence. She could have laughed at the look in his eyes as he was clearly trying desperately to act like he didn't care in the least about anything that had just happened, even though he obviously did. She decided to take his hand before he could answer, and pulled him to his feet with a light laugh. "Come on, let's get going. We'll talk when we get outside."

Inuyasha didn't even have time to protest as he felt himself pulled out the auditorium doors and into the courtyard of the school, the sky now dark and full of twinkling stars. Kagome released his hand as they reached the gates and emerged onto the main sidewalk, and together they started walking slowly back to the shrine.

"I forgot about the kissing scene, Inuyasha," she finally commented, looking at the ground. "I'm so sorry I didn't tell you before."

He tried to act aloof. "Keh, why do you have to kiss that Hobo freak anyway? It's not like kissing him makes the scene any more romantic. It's obvious by his words that the Romeo guy loves Juliet."

Kagome could sense the hurt in his underlying tone, and shook her head as she touched his arm, trying to offer him some comfort. She was encouraged when he didn't shake her away. "_Romeo and Juliet_ is one of the most famous romance tragedies of our time, Inuyasha. Of course there will be kissing." She grinned, trying to make light of the situation, but he just looked away. Her face turned serious once more. "But you must know that I'm just acting in there...I don't mean any of what I'm saying to Hojo."

The hanyou still refused to look at her, but Kagome could tell that he was starting to loosen his resolve somewhat as the corners of his eyes softened and his jaw relaxed. She smiled, and looped her arm through his without invitation, pleased when he pulled her against him in response.

Glancing up at the night sky, she started to recite her lines aloud, so that he could hear, and he listened intently.

"_And yet I wish but for the thing I have.   
__My bounty is as boundless as the sea,   
__My love as deep: the more I give to thee   
__The more I have, for both are infinite."_

In spite of himself, Inuyasha felt that familiar warm feeling returning as he watched her efforts to cheer him up. He wasn't angry with her...not really...his ego was just a little bruised. He knew she loved him. There was no question there. But that didn't mean that his demon side had to instinctively like seeing her kissing another male.

Stopping suddenly, he turned so that they were facing each other and put a hand against her cheek, watching as the lights from the streetlamps caused her face to glow like a shiny new pearl. His fingers ran gently through her ebony hair, and she leaned into the caress with a smile, closing her eyes.

"_O blessed, blessed night. I am afeard,   
__Being in night, all this is but a dream,   
Too flattering sweet to be substantial."_

Kagome's eyes flew open, the tender moment forgotten as she started at Inuyasha in shock. Had he just recited Hojo's lines? He'd been paying that much attention during the rehearsal?

For his part, Inuyasha just grinned proudly, like the boy who brought home the A on his school paper, and loved the surprise registered on her face. "Is this where I get to kiss you?" He asked softly, his breath tickling her nose.

Kagome blushed, but smiled anyway, her eyes sparkling. She touched his warm face with her cold fingers, and felt his skin quiver. "It's a romance," she replied softly, her voice tight with emotion. "So you can kiss me whenever you want."

He seemed to consider this for a moment before grinning. "Good," he stated, and suddenly crushed her mouth in a searing kiss that had Kagome sighing and wrapping her arms about his neck, reveling in the passion that had been so obviously absent when Hojo had kissed her during the rehearsal. This is what she wanted, this is what she needed, and this is what she knew she would live for the rest of her life.

But just as Inuyasha's hands starting roving timidly over her back, the sound of something clicking caught their attention, and Kagome broke away, turning her head with a gasp as Inuyasha tightened his hold around her waste, growling menacingly at the new threat.

Before them, dressed all in black and wearing a very familiar black ski mask, was a man with beady green eyes and rigid posture, glaring at the couple. His breath became vapor in the air, and it was obvious that he was breathing heavily, his shoulders heaving with exertion.

As the moon broke through the cloud cover above, Kagome recognized, with a sudden knowing fear, the object in the man's hands as it glinted in the light. It was a gun, and it was currently aimed directly at her heart.


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**New Author's Notes:** In honor of the one year anniversary of the first chapter of 'The Confessions Trilogy' I have decided to perform a massive edit of this story, and will be going over every single chapter. Below you will find all the original author's notes from the story, because I hadn't the heart to part with them, and then beyond that the new and improved story. Maybe this will become a tradition...we'll just have to wait and see!

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_**   
Though not described in detail, this story does deal with rape so be warned if that sort of topic bothers you**_

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**   
Original Author's Notes:** Okay, so I hope this doesn't prove to be a disappointing ending for all of you wonderful readers. I think it's a good way to end Kagome's conflict with her rapist, and I'm the author, so I guess it doesn't matter what you all think! Um, actually, just kidding, I really do want you guys to like this chapter because I know I hate it when the ending to a story sucks. 

The chapter is a little short, I know, and I'm sorry about that, but there is one more coming after this, and then the story is done. I hope you've enjoyed the story and thank you again so much for all your wonderful reviews! And now, without further adieu, the second to last chapter! Enjoy!

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Title: Confessions of a Broken Heart 

Author: dolphingirl0113

Chapter: Sixteen

Rating: PG-13 (rated for violence, language, and implied sexual situations)

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

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Time had stopped, and Kagome thought in the back of her mind that it was as though someone had hit the pause button on the remote that controlled her life. The air suddenly stifled her, her lungs not getting enough oxygen, and her heart was in her throat, racing like a jackrabbit preparing to speed away from a predator. The streetlamp illuminated the man before her, and she observed the way the moonlight glinted dangerously off the gun in the man's hands. It almost looked beautiful... 

Her body had begun to shake terribly in earth shattering quakes that had her rocking back on her heels, and sweat broke out on her forehead. Inuyasha sensed her sudden fear, and pulled her against him securely, trying to remind her that he was there, and wouldn't let anything bad happen to her.

But for once his presence didn't seem to matter. Kagome was locked in a staring match with the rock-like object in the man's hands. Inuyasha couldn't understand what the big deal was. Obviously it probably hurt if it was hurled at someone, but other then that what else could a rock do?

He'd never seen a gun before.

The man before them, dressed all in black, sucked in a deep, almost annoying, breath, his body shaking with pent up rage, looking for all intensive purposes like a snake coiling to strike its prey. His beady green eyes only added to that image.

"You just couldn't listen, could you?" He hissed, the voice dangerously male, affirming what Inuyasha had already known by the masculine scent coming off of his body. He just continued to glare, but noticed an instant change in Kagome.

Her body had gone absolutely rigid, frozen in place, and the hanyou wondered if he just blew on her she'd fall to the ground entirely. Her face was pale, and he noticed that her teeth had started chattering, adding to her already quivering form. What was wrong?

"Kagome...?" He tried to keep his voice tender, despite the fact that they were in the presence of an enemy. "What is it?"

Kagome remained silent. She couldn't have spoken even if she'd wanted to. Her mouth had gone dry, her muscles tense, and she found herself unconsciously putting a hand up to her throat where the owner of that voice had held a knife to her throat on a cold night when she'd been very alone.

The man was clearly frustrated, and took a step towards them, shaking the gun threateningly. "Do you even know the hell I'm in now because of you, bitch? Thanks to you I have to hide every day! I can't even go to the store to get food!"

He still sounded so cruel...so evil. Kagome shuddered and shrank back against Inuyasha, wishing she could just bury herself in his red kimono, but dared not move more then a few inches with that gun trained right at her body, her rapist's finger poised on the trigger.

Inuyasha felt her press against him even more, and looked down to see Kagome shaking, pale and afraid. He was puzzled. This wasn't the Kagome he knew and loved, the Kagome who had so handily defeated Naraku.

Turning his head so he could get a better look, still not having a clue how much danger they were in because he didn't know what the gun could do, Inuyasha suddenly found himself recoiling and growling furiously as he made the connection.

Doll eyes...

That meant only one thing: the man in front of him must be the one who was responsible for raping Kagome. The man the newsman on the television had called Ted Wilkins. The man who had sent Kagome all those threatening letters.

"Bastard..." He hissed, his voice low and dangerous as he reached down into his robes with one hand to touch the hilt of tetsusaiga. He didn't dare draw it in such an open area where anyone from Kagome's time could see, but all the same the blade's touch managed to cool his raging blood somewhat, which was good. He needed a cool head right then.

At the sound of Inuyasha's voice, so full of anger, so protective, Kagome felt some of her fears fade away as she was reminded of the fact that this time she was anything but alone, and that she had a way to be safe. She did not have to go through that horrible pain ever again. With that thought in mind, she leaned back against him comfortingly, and he tightened his hold around her waist in response as they both regarded the man, Ted Wilkins, before them.

"I was hoping you'd be alone," the man continued with a deadly tone, "But now I guess I'll just have to get rid of both you and your boyfriend."

As he spoke, it occurred to Kagome that the voice no longer sounded commanding and full of threats, but rather very afraid and desperate. He truly didn't want to go to prison for what he had done! The thought enraged her. How dare he believe he could hurt women that way but not be punished! He probably didn't even believe that what he'd done was wrong!

"You're getting what you deserve," she hissed, finally managing to find her voice as she used her anger as a means of support, narrowing her eyes dangerously.

Ted Wilkins cocked his head to one side curiously, obviously not expecting her to speak at all, let alone with such confidence. "I never should have gone after you, you little bitch," he swore suddenly, the gun in his hands trembling. "I had a feeling, even when I caught you, that you would cause me trouble." He glared at her.

She glared right back. "Well I guess that means you should listen to your instincts."

Inuyasha felt himself smirk slightly, relieved to see that his Kagome was back again, the doll eyes and the trembling body gone to be replaced by the warrior who had so easily defeated Naraku. He shot one of his own smoldering glares in the direction of the rapist. "You'll pay for what you did to Kagome," he growled.

But for once his glare didn't have the desired effect, because the man simply chuckled, sounding almost like he'd gone mad. "In case you haven't noticed," he taunted, waving his hand in the air, "I've got the gun." He trained it once more on Kagome, and she stiffened slightly in response.

Inuyasha cocked his head to the side and furrowed his brow, still not having the faintest idea what was so important about having a 'gun'. It was just a rock, for heaven's sake! What harm could that do? He could slice it in half easily!

"Keh...your gun doesn't frighten me, bastard," he replied confidently.

The gun began to tremble again in Ted Wilkins' hands, and he pointed it directly at Kagome's heart, taking a step forward as he did so. Kagome felt herself panic slightly, her survival instincts telling her to run, but her logical side knowing that would do no good since no one but Superman was faster than a bullet. But...was he really going to shoot her? She honestly hadn't thought him capable of murder.

Kagome realized then that she didn't want to die. She wasn't ready, not now that she and Inuyasha were finally together. It wasn't fair!

She watched as her rapist curved his lips up into a horrible smirk and, as though reading her mind, straightened his posture and extended his arm fully, pointing the gun at her so that it seemed to cut his face in half from her point of view. To Kagome it was like everything he did was in slow motion.

"I must say," he finally commented sarcastically, "Even with all the trouble you've caused me...it was a real pleasure." Kagome wanted to retch. "Good bye and good riddance, you little bitch."

What happened next was all a blur of red as she felt strong hands shove her to the ground just as the sound of the gunshot ripped through the silence of the evening, Inuyasha shouting her name. She hit the ground, hard, and the impact forced the scream from her mouth in a silent rush of air as the wind was momentarily knocked from her lungs. She found herself gasping, and heard the sound of struggle before her, followed by a cry of pain.

"Inuyasha!" She called out fearfully once her voice had returned. There was no reply. Painfully she lifted her body off the ground, rising to her feet, feeling her muscles protest after the harsh impact with the cement sidewalk, her bare knees and elbows scraped up slightly.

But all thoughts of pain vanished as relief flooded through her when she saw Inuyasha holding Ted Wilkins in a firm headlock, having pulled the redheaded man's arms behind his back. Clearly once the gun had been fired and he'd lost his edge, the man hadn't stood a chance against the hanyou's strength. She noticed a hole in Inuyasha's left sleeve, and felt her knees grow weak at the thought of how close he'd come to death.

For his part, the hanyou was happily punching Ted Wilkins in the stomach, oblivious to how close the bullet had been, smirking every time his fist made contact with his captive, who would grunt in pain.

Kagome felt her relieved smile vanish suddenly as the corner of her eye caught something gleaming on the ground, and she turned to see the gun, sitting uselessly on the ground where it had been dropped. Without thinking, she bend down and picked it up, noting the fact that the weapon felt heavy and awkward in her hands. She didn't really know how to use a gun, after all, and could only guess how she was even supposed to hold it by what she'd seen in the movies.

There was a gasp, and Kagome looked up to see that Ted Wilkins had stopped struggling against Inuyasha's strong grasp, his eyes instead fixed on her, or rather, what she now held in her hands. The fear in his eyes was obvious, and it gave her a sudden, immense feeling of power.

Inuyasha had gone still as well, trying to decide what Kagome was doing. Glancing down at the hole in his sleeve, he chuckled inwardly as he realized he now understood why 'guns' were so dangerous, but couldn't understand why Kagome would hold a weapon like that. She didn't look like herself at all, but more like someone who was possessed by anger and hate.

There was a long silence, and then, suddenly, Kagome raised the gun a little higher and narrowed her eyes. "Are you afraid?" She asked the imprisoned man. He didn't answer, instead only managing to stare at first her and then the gun, repeating the motion with frantic sweeps of his eyes. That was enough for Kagome to know the answer. "You bastard," she hissed, "Do you know what kind of hell you put me through? Do you know how hard it was to live because of you? Do you know how much you hurt me?" Kagome squared the gun, awkwardly, so that it was pointed right at his chest, and he shrank back. "I hate you!"

Ted Wilkins was squirming backwards desperately, finding that he had no where to go with Inuyasha's solid frame behind him. Panic was evident in his green eyes, and his already white face had managed to pale another shade. "Please..." He begged, his voice suddenly devoid of all strength, sounding like that of a seven year old boy. "Please don't..."

Kagome just regarded him coldly, feeling her own hands start to shake as her anger became almost too much to bear. "What, suddenly you think life is precious?" She laughed, and it was a cruel sound that caused the hair on the back of Inuyasha's neck to stand on end. "Well maybe now you can feel the pain that I felt that night!"

Inuyasha suddenly felt an immense fear for the woman before him. She wasn't his Kagome any more, but some mirthful, cruel creature out for revenge...and willing to kill for it. He couldn't let her do that! He knew deep down Kagome wouldn't want this, and he couldn't live with himself if he allowed her soul to be ruined in such a way.

"Kagome," He spoke gently, his voice surprisingly calm, "Put the gun down. You don't want to kill this man...he's not worth the guilt that will be on your conscience for the rest of your life." She shot him a deadly glare, and the hanyou couldn't help but step back slightly, his own fingers starting to feel clammy with uncertainty. "Kagome...?"

The sound of his voice, usually so full of confidence but suddenly full of fear, caused Kagome to jolt slightly, and her expression changed to one of confusion. "Inuyasha..." She cocked her head. "I thought you wanted him dead too."

The hanyou sighed in relief as he saw she was fighting her way back to reality, and tried to figure out the right thing to say in reply. It was true, he'd wanted the bastard who hurt Kagome dead since the first moment he'd found out what happened, and in fact that was all he'd thought about. But now...

"Kagome, I don't want him dead if it means the loss of your innocence...the loss of your humanity."

Her eyes hardened again. "I already killed Naraku," she hissed, and he shivered. "I got you your revenge, Inuyasha. Now I want mine!"

Inuyasha hardened his gaze and wished he could just let go of the man in his arms and shake the woman he loved back to her senses. "No Kagome!" He commanded firmly. "You don't need to kill him to have revenge. Let's just take him to that police station you went to before, and they can deal with him there, just like you said they would." He acquired a pleading look. "Just...please don't do something that I know you'll regret, Kagome. Please...I could never live with myself if I let you do something as horrible as murder."

A soft, chilling breeze rustled the bushes and trees around them, and a lone fast food wrapper blew past and down the empty street, the paper crinkling as it rolled. And suddenly Kagome seemed to be having an internal battle with herself.

"But..." Tears were in her eyes now, and her body continued to shake, but her fingers seemed to be losing some of their grip on the gun at last. "He laughed at me, Inuyasha." She looked away in shame. "When I was in pain, he just laughed."

Now she just sounded like a lost little child, and the hanyou growled in spite of himself as another wave of rage struck him hard in the gut. In some ways he wished he could just let Kagome kill the bastard. He could take her back to his time, where she'd never be found again, and then it would all be over. But for some reason he just couldn't...he couldn't let her pull that trigger.

"I know, Kagome," he finally all but whispered, and another silence permeated the air, filling it with tension as both men waited to see what she would do.

Then, suddenly, Inuyasha heard the most beautiful sound in the world as the gun crashed back to the ground, and then Kagome was falling to her own knees and wrapping her arms around herself as her body shook with sobs. They were loud, heart wrenching sobs, and it was all Inuyasha could do to resist dropping his prisoner and running to her.

Finally, unable to take it any more, the hanyou looked down at the red head of the man in his arms and with a grunt whacked Ted Wilkins hard across the neck, satisfied when the man fell limp. Dropping him unceremoniously to the sidewalk, he reached Kagome in two steps.

Kagome cried out in overwhelming inner emotional pain as she felt the arms of the man she loved more than life itself encircle her and pull her against his strong chest, her cheek and ear against his chest, enabling her to hear his heart beat. Grabbing hold of his red kimono, she buried her head in it, sobs wracking her body in violent quakes as she willed her heart to slow down and beat in sync with his.

Inuyasha found that suddenly he had the patience of thousands as he sat with her, content to just hold the woman he loved and rock her back and forth gently, much the same way as he had the day after her rape, when he'd first found her alone in her room, dressed in baggy sweatpants, her hair in tangles. She had come a long ways, he realized...and he felt pride swell within his breast at the thought.

"I hate him so much," Kagome whispered finally, breaking him out of his thoughts, and he turned to look at the top of her head. "I...I wanted so badly to kill him."

Inuyasha grimaced at the seriousness of her words and looked away, up at the stars overhead. "I know," he replied softly, running a gentle hand through her hair, careful not to catch his claws on the back of her neck. "But you couldn't kill him and then be okay, Kagome, you know that. I mean, you feel guilty about killing Naraku! And he was the epitome of all evil..." She nodded against his chest and relaxed slightly knowing that she agreed.

Slowly, oh so slowly, he finally began to rise to his feet, and carried her with him, making sure she was steady on her feet even though she still leaned against his body for support. She had a deep frown on her face, and as he followed her gaze realized she was staring at the unconscious Ted Wilkins nearby.

"I...I wanted him to suffer," she finally whispered, looking at the ground in shame. "I wanted him to feel pain at the hands of another, just like I did. I wanted him to have something precious taken from him, just like he stole my virginity and innocence." She shuddered. "But you were right. Revenge is not the right path for me, and I would have regretted it for the rest of my life." She paused. "Thank you, Inuyasha."

She looked up then, her dark eyes meeting his, and he felt butterflies in his gut as he saw the unbridled love in her gaze. This was the woman he loved, he affirmed as he touched her cheek with his hand shyly, almost reverently.

As she leaned into the caress he smiled and lowered his head to kiss her gently, feeling her lips quiver against his own, and it was the most wonderful sensation he'd ever known. Kikyou's kisses had always been so cold, so without emotion. But Kagome...well, everything about her was so warm...

Suddenly Inuyasha felt his body fall forward as Kagome wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her as her gentle kiss turned desperate, and somehow he could sense that she was expending every ounce of fear, anger, and hate she'd felt a few moments ago. Not that he minded, he decided as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed her body against his.

Finally they broke away after several minutes, their harsh breathing mingling in the air, leaving their bodies as vapor as it disappeared into the night sky.

Inuyasha regarded her tenderly. "Do you feel better now?"

In spite of everything that had happened, Kagome found herself smiling. "Yes. Thank you, Inuyasha...for everything."

He chuckled and kissed her one more time lightly on the lips before pulling away and walking over to pick up the man on the ground, slinging his body over his shoulder like a sack of worthless garbage. Kagome liked the image, and couldn't help but giggle slightly.

Inuyasha began to walk away, disappearing from sight as he faded out of the light of the streetlamps, and Kagome watched, remaining still and silent for several thoughtful moments, her expression somewhat disbelieving. Was it over? Was her nightmare finally over? With Naraku dead too, did that mean they could both finally move on with their lives and be happy and unafraid? The thought brought a smile to her face.

"Hey Kagome!" Inuyasha's voice reached her in the dark. "How do we get to that police station place anyway? This guy's getting heavy!"

Laughing outright, Kagome felt her feet suddenly kick into action as she ran in the direction of the hanyou's voice, knowing it was the voice she would return to for the rest of her life.


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**New Author's Notes:** In honor of the one year anniversary of the first chapter of 'The Confessions Trilogy' I have decided to perform a massive edit of this story, and will be going over every single chapter. Below you will find all the original author's notes from the story, because I hadn't the heart to part with them, and then beyond that the new and improved story. Maybe this will become a tradition...we'll just have to wait and see!

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_**   
Though not described in detail, this story does deal with rape so be warned if that sort of topic bothers you**_

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**   
Original Author's Notes:** Well, it's finally done. I've truly loved writing this story, and I'm glad you all enjoyed it too. I hope this is a satisfactory ending for you, with enough fluff to be enjoyed, but not so much that it spoils your appetite! 

In response to some of your questions, I can certainly see where one could make a sequel out of this, so if you have any ideas then feel free to let me know. And for the sake of not making the epilogue too confusing, lets just assume that Kagome's rapist was put away in prison for what he did.

Anyway, thanks for all your reviews...I received more then I could have ever hoped for in the beginning. And so now, without further adieu, I present to you the final chapter of the story 'Confessions of a Broken Heart'. It's been a wonderful experience writing this, and until we meet again, I bid you all good night (bows elegantly and leaves stage).

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Title: Confessions of a Broken Heart 

Author: dolphingirl0113

Epilogue

Rating: PG-13 (rated for violence, language, and implied sexual situations)

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

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The afternoon was beautiful, with a light breeze penetrated by sunbeams, which were streaming through the trees that surrounded the small village and giving the air a surreal feeling. If one looked close enough they would have even sworn that there were rainbows across the hills courtesy of the rain shower that had come the night before, making everything about the world seem fresh and clean. 

It was the perfect day for a wedding.

Unfortunately, compared to the pristine, beautiful day, the bride-to-be was a nervous wreck, and Kagome had to resist the urge to run her fingers through her carefully curled hair to ease the tension coiling up in her body. She had to do something, or she was going to snap! Honestly, why was Sango worrying so much?

"What if it starts to rain?" The exterminator, who was usually so calm and collected about everything, commented nervously, wringing her hands as she paced up and down the floor of the small space that was Kaede's hut, her feet soft against the ground.

Kagome just rolled her eyes and glanced out one of the windows. "It already rained last night, and besides Sango, the gods would really have to desire rain to ruin this beautiful day. You have nothing to worry about."

That didn't seem to help. "But...but what if something goes wrong today?" She asked frantically. "What if..." She gasped. "What if he leaves me?"

"Sango," Kagome had a frustrated edge to her voice as she spoke. "The man has been chasing you around for the past three years. Somehow I doubt that he'll leave you now that you've finally agreed to be his for the rest of your life." She softened her gaze. "He loves you."

Unfortunately, the comment didn't make the woman feel any better, because she started pacing eve faster, causing her gown to bunch in strange places as she would abruptly change direction to accommodate the small floor.

Deciding it was pointless to argue with a nervous bride, Kagome instead decided to admire her friend's appearance on that day. Sango was always beautiful, with her mature air and almost tragic sense of wisdom, her body solid as a rock from years of training as an exterminator, but today, for the first time, she didn't just look strong, she looked extremely soft, her gown making her looking like a delicate white lily.

Spun of the purest silk from a nearby village, the gown was different from anything Sango had worn before in that it was much more form fitting, revealing her curvaceous hips as they swayed back and forth, the skirt flaring out gently after reaching her upper thigh, giving her just enough space to walk comfortably. The sleeves draped elegantly over her shoulders in virgin modesty, revealing nothing in the front, and only slight skin in the back, the sleeves covering her arms and flaring at her wrists so that her hands were hidden.

To complete the image of the beautiful blushing bride, Kagome had brought over one of her portable curler sets that didn't require being plugged into a wall, which had successfully set Sango's long brown hair into elegant ringlets falling over her shoulders and down her back. And finally, the look was sealed when Kagome had woven fresh flowers into the small braids near the top of her friend's head.

Without meaning to, Kagome sighed, imaging what it would be like on her wedding day, when she got to wear the white gown and get all dressed up. "Sango, you are so beautiful today, you know that?" She felt suddenly in awe of her friend as a beam of light coming through the window illuminated her friend in a ray of sunshine.

Sango just blushed and looked down at herself critically. "Really Kagome? I mean, do you think Miroku will like the dress?"

"How could he not? You look like you could be an angel from heaven in that dress." She smiled. "All you need now are the big, feathered wings!"

"Thank you, Kagome," Sango replied softly, taking her friend's hands in her own with a smile, and Kagome sighed, hoping the gesture meant that her friend had finally calmed down.

Unfortunately the moment was ruined, because Inuyasha suddenly pushed aside the cloth covering the door, his usual arrogant smirk in place. "Kagome, Kaede wants to know where you put the rolls she baked earlier." He stopped short when he saw the two elegantly dressed women before him, and was only broken out of his trance by Sango's sudden cry of alarm.

"Inuyasha! Get out! Get out!" She started throwing the curlers at the hanyou desperately, which he artfully dodged. "You're not supposed to see me yet! None of the men are supposed to see me yet!"

Sighing in exasperation that the calm she'd worked so hard to achieve was ruined, Kagome pushed the stunned hanyou out the door without so much as a hello, trying desperately to ignore how handsome he looked in the cream colored kimono Miroku had picked as the color for the occasion. It was the only time anyone had ever convinced Inuyasha to take off his red jacket.

Turning around, Kagome watched as Sango started pacing again, muttering desperately. "That's bad luck, isn't it? He wasn't supposed to see me, was he?" She looked up at the roof. "Oh Buddha, my marriage is over before it's even had a chance to begin!"

Kagome took the frantic woman by the shoulders and shook her firmly. "Sango, if I recall correctly it is only the groom who cannot see his bride before the wedding." She winked. "And the last time I checked, you're not marrying Inuyasha."

Sango blushed at the very thought and looked away. "Oh...I'm sorry, Kagome, I'm just so nervous. This is the day my family planned for me my whole life, and now that it's finally happening I want it to go right, if nothing else, then to simply honor their memory..." Her eyes clouded over in brief pain, and Kagome knew she was thinking about Kohaku.

They had gone searching for him almost immediately after Naraku's defeat, while Inuyasha and Kagome had been in the modern era, and Sango had soon found him in a quite part of the forest, dead now that the shard was gone. She'd taken him back to the exterminator village to bury him with the rest of their family, and still felt an immense sorrow whenever she thought of his tragic end.

Kagome put a comforting hand on Sango's cheek and wiped away the solitary tear on her creamy skin. "He wouldn't want you to be sad today, Sango. He'd want you to be happy, and enjoy the time you have with the man you love."

She looked away. "I know...I guess I just never thought I'd get married without my family at my side."

"I'm your family," Kagome replied gently, knowing she meant it, and Sango looked back at her friend, managing a smile.

"I know...and I thank you for that, Kagome." She cleared her face, and was once more a happy bride on her wedding day. She rose to her feet and, after touching her hair, giggled. "You know, I could never marry Inuyasha, not since you're his mate. After all, demons mate for life." She had a playful grin on her face, and it was Kagome's turn to blush.

Reaching up, she touched her neck, feeling the slight scar near her collarbone. It was true; she was now officially marked as his mate. He'd asked her after the successful opening night of 'Romeo and Juliet', which had been almost a month ago, and she'd joyfully said yes. They planned to marry in her time for the sake of Kagome's family, but were making sure the date was set for a night wedding during a new moon so that the Higurashi family and friends could all come without fear of seeing Inuyasha in his hanyou form.

At first Mrs. Higurashi and her grandfather had not been happy about the idea of Kagome marrying so young, before she was done with college, but after much pleading from both their daughter and future son-in-aw they had finally relented and agreed, though it had been with the stipulation that Kagome promise to go to college.

The pieces of her life were finally falling into place, and both she and Sango were beginning to feel their lives settling into a normal routine...at least, as normal as was possible with a girl who could travel between the past and the future.

Kaede appeared in the doorway with a smile on her face, and both Kagome and Sango looked up from where they were kneeling and holding hands. "Are you ready, child?" She asked Sango, who nodded and slowly rose to her feet, looking suddenly very dignified. "Very well then, let's go."

"Wait!" Kagome leapt to her feet and ran to the corner of the hut, retrieving a bouquet of fresh flowers that she'd picked earlier, holding it out to Sango, who gave her a puzzled stare.

"What's this for?"

"It's a tradition in my time that the bride carries flowers. Then, after the wedding, you throw it to the women and whoever catches the bouquet is supposed to be the next to marry."

Sango seemed to think for a moment before smiling. "I like that tradition."

Now holding her flowers, she nodded to Kagome to proceed, and so, at last, the wedding train, if one could even call it that, moved out of the hut and towards the village with Kaede, who would perform the ceremony, in front, Kagome in the middle with her own smaller bouquet, and finally followed by Sango, her head held high with a blush of excitement on her cheeks, looking positively radiant.

The villagers were lining the sides of the road dressed in their finest clothes with smiles of pleasure upon seeing the bride, and they all nodded their heads respectfully, their faces full of well wishes for the future. But Sango wasn't even paying attention to any of them, because she'd spotted Miroku at last, standing beside the shrine that had been built to honor Kikyou, looking very handsome in his cream colored Kimono, his posture straight and a look of pride on her face. Inuyasha was at his side, his arms crossed in his usual fashion, and Shippou stood before them both looking adorable in his own matching kimono. Kirara sat beside Miroku patiently, and all together Kagome thought they made quite a handsomely expectant picture...except for Inuyasha. He just looked bored.

Blushing, she felt the hanyou's eyes suddenly land on her, and looked up enough to make eye contact and give him a slight wink, noting with surprise that he winked back as he admired how beautiful she looked.

She was wearing a dress from her own time spun from a deep midnight blue, the skirt falling to the ground, the top strapless with a transparent scarf wrapped around her shoulders. Her hair fell elegantly over her shoulders in tight ringlets, much tighter than Sango's, making it look shorter than it actually was, and she wore no makeup, just the way he liked it, with her skin glowing on its own accord.

His chest swelled with pride as he watched her move towards him, and he sighed.

She was his mate.

That was a reality he still couldn't quite get used to. Never in a thousand years could he have guessed fifty years ago, when he had felt so alone as he'd stumbled across a lonely miko just like him, that things would turn out the way they had. Kikyou had seemed like the woman he would be with, her stoic demeanor and tragic personality matching perfectly with his, and he'd thought that was love. How wrong he'd been. He'd never loved before Kagome...at least, not the way he loved her. With Kikyou it had always been that he was willing to die for her, but with Kagome he wanted to live.

His eyes continued to roam over her body, and he stopped as he saw the mark, still somewhat fresh, on her neck from where he'd marked her as his. Sometimes he still had a hard time believing that she had so willingly said yes, knowing that he was a hanyou.

They still hadn't consummated their promise, but that was only because Kagome said her family wouldn't like her doing it before she was officially married in her time. Even though he'd been disappointed, Inuyasha hadn't pushed the subject, respecting her wishes, but secretly hoped the wedding would happen soon because now that he had officially marked her, his demon instincts were kicking in and demanding that he lay claim to her completely...in every way.

Kagome finally reached his side, her scent surrounding him, and together they moved back to allow room for the featured couple as Sango accepted Miroku's hand while Kaede moved to the place of honor in between them both. The villagers all moved in to watch the ceremony, and the air suddenly acquired a sense of peace as Kaede began to speak.

"These two young people come together today to join in marriage," she began with a soft smile on her face. Sango and Miroku glanced at each other, and it was clear to everyone else that their world had suddenly been narrowed down to two people.

Kagome smiled. "They are so perfect for each other," She commented softly, watching the ceremony with a combination of joy and anticipation, knowing that her own wedding would come very soon.

Inuyasha smiled and put his arm around her waist, pulling her against his chest securely. She didn't protest. "Like we are perfect for each other," he commented, speaking into her hair, and Kagome smiled as she felt his voice rumble in his chest.

"Have you heard from Kouga?" She asked suddenly, wondering what had happened to the wolf after she had told him about the fact that she was Inuyasha's mate. She felt the man beside her stiffen.

"Keh...why would I know where that stupid wolf is?" The hanyou felt slightly bitter that she had insisted on ruining the moment by mentioning that annoying man.

"He's my friend, Inuyasha," Kagome retorted, feeling her usual temper spark the way it always did when Kouga was mentioned. She had never meant to hurt the wolf man, though it had been obvious that she had, and now was worried about where he'd gone and what he was up to.

Inuyasha softened at her tone, not wanting to argue with the wedding ceremony taking place close by. "No, I don't know where he is," he finally commented, his voice gentle, "But I have no doubt that he'll be back to check on you. He just needs time to get used to the idea that you're not his woman any more." Inuyasha stopped and thought about what he'd said. "Not that you were ever really his woman."

Kagome giggled, her voice playful. "Because I'm your woman?"

"Damn straight," The hanyou replied seriously, pulling her tighter against his body...if that were even possible.

Feeling the usual stirring of desire that had become common whenever she was against Inuyasha's firm body, Kagome smiled, feeling her heart flutter as she glanced once more at the romantic scene that was unfolding between Miroku and Sango before looking up at the man she loved again, his handsome profile for once soft and at ease. Perhaps, she thought with a thrill of excitement, she was ready to take that next step after all...

Granted, Kagome knew her mother wouldn't be happy if she knew her daughter had sex before her wedding, but then again Mrs. Higurashi didn't have to know either.

In all honesty, the real reason Kagome had been so adamant about waiting until the wedding to consummate their relationship was because she had wanted a little more time before being with a man that way again. In all honesty she'd thought she might never be ready, deciding that the pain of that night would always come back to haunt her, but as she noted her body's reaction to Inuyasha at that moment she knew that she had been wrong yet again when it came to her soul's ability to heal despite what had happened.

She wanted him, she realized suddenly, and felt her cheeks grow hot with a blush of desire and embarrassment. She'd never wanted a man like that before, but now, suddenly she did...but didn't know if it was appropriate for her to say something. Would he think her too bold if she spoke up?

Sighing, she decided to put such feelings aside for the time being, after all she couldn't exactly jump the poor hanyou right in front of her friend's wedding, and watched instead as Kaede finally proclaimed Miroku and Sango married, followed by the new couple kissing for all to see, blushes bright on both their cheeks. When they broke away, Sango wore a beaming smile and made eye contact with Kagome as she winked and tossed the bouquet of flowers to her friend.

Surprised, Kagome dropped her own bouquet and caught the more elegant arrangement of flowers, looking up with questioning eyes to see Sango simply nod meaningfully towards Inuyasha. Understanding, she smiled back at her friend, her sister, and watched as the demon exterminator returned her attention to her new husband. "Thanks, Sango," she whispered.

Inuyasha gave her a strange look. "What's that all about? Why'd she just throw you her flowers?"

"Hm?" Kagome looked at him and just shrugged. "Oh, it's nothing...just some girl stuff." She smiled dreamily, hoping the feeling of pure joy in her breast would never go away. "You know, we'll be getting married soon, legally, in both my time and yours."

Inuyasha's eyes softened. "I know." He tilted her chin up gently so that her eyes met his directly. "Does the thought make you nervous? I mean...do you have any regrets?"

"About marrying you? Never," She was so quick to respond that Inuyasha could only nod and feel, yet again, extremely lucky for having such a wonderful woman in his life.

"Good."

They both glanced as one back at the crowd, which was applauding excitedly as Sango and Miroku moved about, thanking everyone for coming and sharing a few words with those villagers who were more familiar. The demon exterminator's hand was locked with the monk's, and it was obvious that they had no regrets about getting married either.

As Kagome watched them move about, a familiar sight caught her eye, and she found herself turning suddenly, sure that her eyes were playing tricks on her, and yet...she'd know that face anywhere, because it was practically the same face she saw in the mirror every day. Fixing her gaze more directly on the woman in question, Kagome finally saw the defined features of her face, partially hidden by a cloak, a kind smile on her face as she met Kagome's eyes.

Kikyou...

Kagome couldn't resist smiling back slightly, and felt that, for the first time, they'd at last come to a true understanding of one another. She also noticed that Kikyou's arm was looped through that of a man, handsome but simple, with short brown hair and warm eyes.

It was a heartwarming sight, to be sure, but as Kagome moved to approach her incarnation Kikyou put up her hand, and so she stopped short, a quizzical expression on her face. Mouthing 'thank you' and smiling one more time, Kikyou turned and, with her new love, vanished into the crowd. Kagome made no move to follow, and assumed that would be the last time she'd ever see the miko.

"See someone you know?" Inuyasha asked, coming to her side after having gone to offer his own congratulations to their friends.

Kagome just smiled and shook her head. "No...just my reflection."

Giving her a puzzled look, Inuyasha finally just shrugged his shoulders and decided it would be best to drop the subject, instead watching as Kagome ran up to Sango and threw her arms around her neck. "I'm so happy for you, Sango! And you too, Miroku!" Her smile grew wider. "May your marriage be blessed with much happiness!"

"And many children," Miroku added, to which Sango blushed, but this time she only squeezed his hand tighter, rather than slapping him for being a lecher. Yes, things had definitely changed for the better.

Finally the demon exterminator looked at her friend. "I only wish I could come to your wedding as well, Kagome," She spoke fervently, taking Kagome's hands in her own.

Kagome just smiled. "Maybe, with my new powers, I can figure out a way to get you through the well. I want you to be my maid of honor, after all."

Remembering the term from before, Sango just grinned. "I'd be honored."

"And speaking of questions and weddings," Miroku glanced over at his friend quizzically. "Don't you have something to ask me, Inuyasha?"

The hanyou simply raised an eyebrow. "Eh?"

Miroku rolled his eyes indulgently. "About your wedding! Don't you have something you would like to ask me to do? A certain honor...?"

As Inuyasha sighed and shrugged his shoulders, Kagome saw a twinkle in his eyes that had never been there before, and she realized that for once he was deciding to be somewhat playful. "Why would I have anything to ask of you, monk?"

Miroku looked genuinely hurt. "Oh...I see..."

Unable to take it any more, Kagome burst out laughing and threw her arm around Miroku's shoulders, unable to bear his frown any longer, sending an imploring gaze towards Inuyasha. "Oh come on now, Inuyasha, stop playing around or I swear I'll say the word...even in your nice kimono." She roamed over his body momentarily with her eyes, and he blushed, but then managed to smile.

"Alright, Miroku...would you stand at my side for my wedding...if we can figure out how to get you on the other side of the well?"

"I would be honored!" The reply was enthusiastic, and Kagome couldn't help but smile even more.

Inuyasha eyed him with a playful warning. "Indeed. Well, monk, if you'd like that offer to still stand then I suggest you let go of my mate."

Miroku instantly released Kagome's waist, and Inuyasha moved to claim her as his. She rolled her eyes slightly at the gesture, but somehow managed to reign in her temper, knowing it was just the hanyou's nature, and that she'd have to learn to cope with his possessive mentality.

"Just think," she commented finally. "Before long, we'll be living next door to each other, and we'll have little children who can play together." Her voice was full of joy and promise for the future, and Inuyasha looked at her then with such tenderness that she thought her heart would burst. She loved him so much, and could still hardly believe that he was hers for the rest of her life.

"_Did my heart love till now? Forswear it sight.   
__For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night."_

Kagome blinked several times as she heard Inuyasha once again recite words from the play...her favorite line, actually...and felt tears come to her eyes as she smiled. He continued to speak.

"_If I profane with my unworthiest hand   
__This holy shrine, the gentle sin is this:   
__My lips, two blushing pilgrims ready stand   
__To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss."_

He touched his hand to hers, as Hojo had done in the play, and Kagome felt a spark and inclusive shiver run through her body at the contact. It was amazing that such a simple contact could create within her such sudden passion, and yet it did, and without thinking, she began to recite her own lines in reply.

"_Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much,   
__Which mannerly devotion shows in this;   
__For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands to touch,   
__And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss."_

"_Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?"_

"_Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer."_

"_O then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do:   
__They pray: grant thou, lest faith turn to despair."_

"_Saints do not move, though grant for prayers sake."_

"_Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take.   
__Thus from my lips, by thine, my sin is purg'd."_

Inuyasha leaned down and kissed her lips lightly, causing a zing to run straight to Kagome's belly, pooling into a puddle of warmth that caused her to absolutely melt. Sango and Miroku had faded away from her mind, and from reality, leaving the couple completely alone, and she smiled, continuing to play along, though she wasn't sure exactly how much of the play the hanyou had actually managed to memorize.

"_Then have my lips then the sin that they have took."_

"_Sin from my lips? O trespass sweetly urg'd.   
__Give me my sin again."_

This time the kiss was not so delicate, or light, as Inuyasha pulled her against him, his body searing her own with a passion that left Kagome dizzy and gasping for air as he lifted his head, causing the hanyou to smile in triumph. He observed her hazy eyes, full of desire, and felt his own blood stir.

It was in that moment that Inuyasha came to realize that he was happy, truly happy, for the first time in his life, and saw that same joy seeping out of Kagome in waves. For a few moments of silence they just stared at one another and then, without warning, Inuyasha swept his mate into his arms, smiling as she gasped in surprise.

"I love you," he whispered into her ear, and Kagome lifted her head to rub her nose with his. It was a strange experience, but one that Inuyasha decided he liked nonetheless.

"I love you too, Inuyasha," She replied softly, and touched her hand to his cheek. "My Inuyasha..."

That was her last coherent thought before Inuyasha carried her into a secluded part of the woods, where no one else could find them, taking her to a place she had never thought she'd go confidently again...at least, not willingly. And, at long last, Kagome felt the final wound in her heart heal, allowing her to put what had happened behind her, the balm being the reality that she lay in the arms of the man she loved, and would remain there forever.

_**The End**_


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